ACD finances vary annually due to the ebb and flow of competitive grants. While ecological projects tend to be installed at a steady pace each year, larger surface-water improvement projects come in fits and starts. The 2025 surface water project planning, design, and permitting set the stage for 2026 installations. Many state grants are funded by sales taxes dedicated to natural resource activities. ACD is committed to accessing these funds to benefit Anoka County taxpayers in proportion to sales tax paid in the county. ACD strives to keep overhead costs down while expanding services. 

Making Sense of the Dollars
Although governed by an elected board, conservation districts lack taxing authority and must secure funds from multiple sources. Overall revenue decreased in 2025 by nearly $900K, largely due to a decrease in state funds. County funds, while representing a smaller percentage of ACD's budget, are critical to cover general operations because many grants do not cover overhead expenses.

Making Dollars of the Cents
ACD collaborates with cities, watershed management groups, state agencies, county departments, non-profits, and landowners on projects of mutual interest. The 2025 revenue chart begins to convey this but does not show the 122 projects and programs supported by 27 distinct funding sources. On average, for every locally derived dollar, ACD leverages over four dollars from outside the county.

Diversify, Economize, Invest
Among ACD's many funding sources is revenue from the sale of our patented Rain Guardian pretreatment chambers, which exceeded $900K in 2025. Through zero-based budgeting, we annually trim underperforming programs. We also strategically invest to optimize dividend revenues and to enhance our in-house capacity with facilities and equipment.

Interactive Financials Dashboard

For details on 2025 or prior year financials, explore ACD's interactive financials dashboard (shown above), or review our financial statements and audits at https://anokaswcd.org/about-us/financials.html. For more information contact Chris Lord, District Manager, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Minnesota's natural resources play an important role in the state's economy and the quality of life of its residents. Protecting and managing those natural resources is a large responsibility shared by many. Individuals interested in helping lead these efforts are encouraged to run for Supervisor of their local Soil and Water Conservation District.

Two Supervisor positions at the Anoka Conservation District will be on the November 2026 ballot. This position is a four-year term and usually requires one to three meetings monthly for which a stipend is provided. Serving as a supervisor offers residents concerned with natural resource management in Anoka County an opportunity to participate in policy development at the local, regional, and state levels. 

The candidate filing period is May 19 through June 2, 2026. Interested individuals may contact the Anoka County Elections Office at 763-324-1300 for filing information. A $20 filing fee is required, and candidates will receive a filing packet outlining election regulations.

All eligible voters may vote for each open position. However, candidates must reside in the nominated district for the position in question. Supervisors do not participate in primary elections.

For the 2026 election, the following districts will be on the ballot:
District 2 – Andover and Coon Rapids
District 3 – Blaine, Columbia Heights, Coon Rapids, Fridley, Hilltop, and Spring Lake Park

For more information contact Kathy Berkness, Office Administrator, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Advanced street sweeping studies are being completed by ACD staff to identify locations where strategically increasing the frequency of sweeping would result in the greatest water quality benefits to the Rum and Mississippi rivers. The highest priority areas for this effort are typically those with limited existing stormwater treatment and/or high roadside tree canopy cover, both of which contribute to increased pollutant loads in stormwater. 

The photo above shows a street sweeping prioritization map produced through the enhanced street sweeping analysis for the City of St. Francis; green indicates the highest priority streets, and red indicates the lowest, for achieving water quality improvements to the Rum River. These analyses are also being completed for portions of Ramsey, Andover, and Anoka. Detailed reports and recommendations will be provided to these cities upon the completion of these studies. For more information contact Breanna Keith, Water Resource Specialist, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

At Soderville Park in Ham Lake, Minnesota, staff from the Anoka Conservation District (ACD) recently tested a new method for disposing of invasive buckthorn. Instead of creating smoky burn piles, they used a biochar kiln called the Ring of Fire.

The Ring of Fire is a type of biochar kiln designed to burn organic material (biomass)—such as wood and plant debris—in a low-oxygen, high-temperature environment. Compared to traditional burn piles, this process is more efficient and significantly reduces smoke, emissions, and environmental impact.

Traditional burn piles turn biomass into ash, which can generate large amounts of smoke, damage soils, and increase erosion. They also leave burn scars on the landscape that can persist for years, creating disturbed areas where invasive species may spread more easily.

How the Ring of Fire Works

The Ring of Fire works differently. The kiln is packed tightly with sticks and branches and then lit from the top. The flame at the top consumes oxygen from above, while the biomass inside the kiln is superheated with radiant heat. Instead of burning completely to ash, the material below undergoes a process called pyrolysis, in which the heated biomass is transformed into biochar—a stable, carbon-rich material similar to charcoal. 

When biochar is incorporated into the soil, that carbon can remain stored for hundreds to thousands of years, effectively locking atmospheric carbon into the ground rather than releasing it back into the atmosphere.

Biochar also provides ecological benefits for the soil. Its porous structure can bind excess nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates, reducing their availability and often favoring invasive plants. By capturing these nutrients, biochar can help slow the spread of invasive species that thrive in nutrient-rich environments.

Restoration Benefits at Soderville Park

At Soderville Park, the Ring of Fire also improved safety during the burning process. Since the fire's heat is at the top of the kiln, using the kiln prevents flames from heating the underlying peat soils, which can smolder underground if ignited.

After the burn, the biochar was spread in areas with high weed pressure. By absorbing excess nutrients in these soils, the biochar may give native plants—many of which are adapted to lower-nutrient conditions—a competitive advantage over invasive species.

By turning buckthorn piles into biochar, the Ring of Fire offers a creative way to support restoration goals while reducing smoke, protecting soils, and storing carbon.

- Article and photos by Lauren Schmeltzer

Staff from ACD, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Minnesota Native Landscapes (the construction contractor) are shown above during the construction of a wetland restoration at Martin's Meadows in the City of Andover. Project collaborators not pictured above include The Nature Conservancy and the City of Andover. Several similar collaborative wetland restoration efforts are planned for both public and private properties soon! Contact ACD if you're interested in wetland restoration on your property.

The University of Minnesota, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory (SAFL), conducted a study that researched three distinct hydrodynamic phenomena that are produced by common recreational powerboats and that have the potential to impact the water column and lakebed: 1) bow and stern pressure waves, 2) transverse gravity waves, and 3) propeller wash (Figure 3). 

The study examines common boat designs, their ability to generate certain forces within the lake, and how deep into the water column these forces penetrate. SAFL researchers found that impacts to the lakebed are directly linked to how the boat is being used. Recreational boats have long produced damaging waves, but in recent years, the SAFL has recognized that the science has not kept pace with advances in boat technology. As powerboats continue to increase in size, horsepower, and new wake-enhancing technologies. This has led to concerns about the impacts of boating on the aquatic environment. In particular, the impacts of wakeboats operating in wakesurfing mode are a topic of intense public interest. 

The boats were tested under conditions typical of their usage (Figure 1). For the non-wakeboats (deck and bowrider), this was displacement mode (leisure cruise) and planing mode (cruising), and for the wakeboats, this was semi-displacement mode (surfing) and planing mode (cruising). The boats were driven directly over the measurement sensors (Figure 2) a total of five times for each operational condition to gather replicate data for statistical analysis.

 In 2025, 25 residential pollinator habitat projects were funded through the Lawns to Legumes Pollinator Pathways program, contributing over 17,000 sq ft of pollinator habitat to Anoka County residential areas! This program seeks to benefit at-risk pollinator species, such as the Monarch Butterfly and the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, by increasing native plant resources in residential areas and raising awareness of pollinator conservation practices.

Eligible project practices include:
- Native pocket plantings
- Beneficial flowering tree and shrub plantings
- Pollinator-friendly lawns
- Pollinator meadows

Grant recipients can receive professional assistance with garden design, construction specifications, and maintenance. Interested landowners should review the cost-share program fact sheet. Ideal candidates will be committed to maintaining the project, as this program aims to demonstrate high-quality pollinator habitat projects. Complete this Google Form to request an application, or contact Jordi Johnson, Restoration Technician, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Grant funds are available for landowners interested in doing a wetland restoration project that benefits water quality. Common project types are ditch plugs to restore drained wetland areas or excavations that treat ditch water. The highest-ranking projects will be those that treat water that drains into local lakes and rivers. For more information, contact Jamie Schurbon, Watershed Projects Manager, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Activities to enhance habitat within 45 acres at Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park began this winter. The dense buckthorn that dominated the understory of the woodlands, wetland depressions, edges of Turtle Pond and the Mississippi River shoreline was cut and mowed. The Siberian elms invading prairie and turf areas were cut and removed, and several box elder trees were cut to create a canopy gap for greater diversity. Enhancement activities, including follow-up buckthorn and garlic control, a prescribed burn, native seeding, and turf-to-prairie conversion, will continue through 2030 with support from the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Funds.

For more information, contact Carrie Taylor, Restoration Ecologist, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Each year, ACD staff provide technical assistance for projects focused on ecological resources, surface water, groundwater, and soils throughout Anoka County. This work includes ecological projects such as habitat enhancement and critical-area plantings; surface-water projects such as lakeshore improvements, rain gardens, and swales; groundwater protection through well sealing and septic-system upgrades; and soil-related practices such as cover cropping. These projects help enhance habitat, protect water quality, and support healthy natural systems.

Assistance typically begins with a site consultation. This includes a conversation with the landowner, a review of maps and available information about the property, and a site visit to walk the property and discuss options. If a project moves forward, ACD can assist with planning and design, provide installation oversight, and offer guidance on long-term maintenance. These efforts are made possible through collaboration with landowners and partner organizations. The table below summarizes the technical assistance provided by ACD staff in 2025. 

If you have a conservation question or are interested in exploring options for your property, ACD staff are available to help! We look forward to continuing this work in 2026 and supporting positive environmental outcomes throughout Anoka County. For more information, contact Mitch Haustein, Stormwater & Shoreland Specialist, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

ACD wants to send out a huge thanks to the volunteers who spent a Saturday morning planting at Epiphany Ponds! ACD and the City of Coon Rapids are working together to reduce turf grass and expand native plantings at Epiphany Ponds Park. Volunteers planted native wildflowers and grasses to add to the seed mix. This is one of many plantings to create pollinator corridors in Anoka County.

For more information contact Carrie Taylor, Restoration Ecologist, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Sharing some joy from Hayes Elementary School - Message from teacher Cara Claggett: "Both gardens are beautiful with huge and happy plants that loved all the rain this summer. It was SO fun to watch the kids notice them as they returned this week. They are very proud to have had a part in developing the thriving gardens that have lots of butterfly and bee visitors." 

Thanks to Jordi for all her work preparing the site, planting with students, and helping Cara with maintenance this summer!

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), a non-native insect, is spreading in central and east Minnesota and is already affecting ash trees in the Rum River counties. EAB kills ash trees, and there is no natural defense against it. As ash trees decline, there is growing concern about the long-term loss of forest cover and changes to woodland productivity.

The sooner you begin planning for EAB in your woods, the more options you have.

We invite you to attend the EAB Action Webinar on Thursday, February 19, 2026, from 10:00–11:30 AM. During this session, you will hear from University of Minnesota Extension forestry specialist Eli Sagor and a local SWCD specialist about:

• What EAB is and how it affects ash trees
• Management options for woodlands with ash
• Local technical and financial assistance is available to landowners

This webinar will be most relevant for woodland owners and other land stewards who want to keep their woods healthy and productive.

The session is intended for landowners in Aitkin, Crow Wing, Morrison, Mille Lacs, Kanabec, Benton, Isanti, Chisago, Sherburne, and Anoka counties. 

👉 To register, click the link or scan the QR code on the flyer below. Questions or registration support: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We hope you'll join us to learn what steps you can take now to plan ahead for Emerald Ash Borer.

Sincerely,

Rum River Watershed Partnership (RRWP)
in partnership with local Soil & Water Conservation Districts