Wilmes Lake Mural Completed
A new mural has been installed at the Wilmes Lake Alum Treatment Facility in Woodbury, MN.
Grit Giveaway
To combat chloride pollution in the watershed, the South Washington Watershed District will provide free grit this winter. Chicken grit, or grit, is a chloride-free, non-chemical alternative to salt for deicing roads, sidewalks, and driveways during the winter.
Armstrong Lake Cattail Harvest
Could harvesting biomass of cattails reduce nutrients and improve water quality in Armstrong Lake? The South Washington Watershed District has launched a pilot program to find out.
What is blue-green algae?
Have you ever been walking near a pond or lake and spotted what looked like a green, slimy substance on the water’s surface? You may have been seeing Blue-green algae, a harmful bacteria bloom that can occur when the temperature goes up, and nutrients are high.
Newsletter | Spring 2025
Hasenbank Park Grand Opening, Picking Up Dog Poo, Street Sweeping After the Winter Season, and more!
SWWD Awarded Clean Water Legacy Partners Grant Funds
The SWWD has been awarded $250,000 from the Minnesota Board of Soil and Water Resources’ (BWSR) Clean Water Legacy Partners Grant Program.
Spring Cleaning “To Do’s” Should Include Picking up Dog Poo
Pet waste is considered pollution, and when not picked up, it can negatively impact water quality. Waste from pets contains nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as pathogens and disease-causing bacteria.
Experiencing Education
The South Washington Watershed District is in its fifth year of collaboration with Carpenter Nature Center and South Washington Public Schools to bring experiential learning programs into the classroom.
Reflecting on the Residency with 2024 SWWD Resident Artist, Sarah Lilja
Photographer Sarah Lilja says she won the jackpot when she was awarded the South Washington Watershed District artist residency.
Planting Roots at Hasenbank Stormwater Park
Branching Out is a roughly 15-foot sculpture of a tree-made of pipes and pipe fittings. The sculpture highlights a tree's role in moving water through transpiration by using the materiality of pipes that also transport water and the organic form of the tree.
Glacial Valley Park Trail Connection Completed
Construction is complete on SWWD’s new 0.4-mile accessible trail along the western edge of Glacial Valley Park. This new recreational trail completes Washington County’s vision of a continuous trail network extending from Lake Elmo Park Reserve to Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park that does not require the use of any road shoulders.
Celebrating Trout Brook
SWWD marked the official end of work on the Trout Brook stream restoration project. To celebrate the occasion, SWWD worked with the Minnesota DNR to stock just over 2,500 fingerling brook trout into the stream.