ACD was contracted by the Isanti Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) to monitor water quality in 7 Lakes, located in the Oxford Township of Isanti County. These lakes are within the Lower St. Croix watershed and have been monitored by the Isanti SWCD since 2017. These lakes have diverse aquatic plant communities, and several rare plant and/or species of special concern have been identified. These natural environment lakes are located in areas of Isanti County that are poised for development in the coming years, making it a crucial time for outreach and education. Conservation agencies such as the Isanti SWCD and the Lower St. Croix Watershed Partnership recognize the importance of using policy and education to help preserve and protect the environment.

Check out this short video on protecting lakes in Oxford Township. The Isanti SWCD is one of the 16 partners of the Lower St. Croix Watershed Partnership, an initiative that looks to protect and restore our water resources for the next ten years. You can learn more about the Isanti SWCD and the LSC Watershed Partnership. For more information contact Kris Larson, Water Resource Specialist, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

A recent ACD inspection shows the Oak Glen Creek Pond and Iron-Enhanced Sand Filter (IESF) are working as intended to keep pollution out of Oak Glen Creek and the Mississippi River. Since 2017, the Oak Glen Creek Pond and IESF, in the City of Fridley, have been cleaning stormwater from a 520-acre watershed. Stormwater flows into the pond where sediment and debris settle out, then through the IESF, where dissolved phosphorus binds to iron, preventing this algae-fueling nutrient from reaching downstream waters. (see picture below)

Do you have native milkweed plants on your property? If so, early fall is a perfect time to collect seeds. Seeds are mature and ready for collection once they have turned a darker brown. Milkweed pods will turn from green to brown, start to open up and reveal the brown seeds inside. Pods will continue to open and the seed will fly out and disperse. However, it's ideal to collect seeds before the pods fully open and the seed fluff/silk has developed. It is best to remove the fluff from the seed for storage. To separate the seed from the fluff, remove the entire stalk of seeds and fluff/silk from the seed pod, hold the end of the fluff/silk and gently push and pull the seeds off the fluff/silk. Watch this short video to see butterfly milkweed seed cleaning. Once the seed is "cleaned" (the fluff is removed), lay it out to dry completely, label the seed with the plant species name (common or butterfly milkweed), and write the date and location the seed was collected. Store dry seed in paper or mesh plastic bags. 

ACD collaborates with Anoka County Parks and cities within Anoka County to enhance local native habitats. If you have native milkweed seed you would like to donate, ACD staff will be happy to take it and spread the seed at appropriate locations.

Contact Carrie Taylor, Restoration Ecologist, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. There will be a waterproof box located outside the ACD office for seed drop-off. Be sure to label the milkweed species. ACD office address: 1318 McKay Dr NE, Suite 300, Ham Lake, MN 55304. 

ACD and the Martin Lakers Association are working together this summer to reduce invasive carp populations in Martin Lake through targeted carp harvests. Our first successful harvest of the season took place in late July, with 58 carp removed. Box nets, designed and installed by Carp Solutions, were deployed at two strategic locations on the lake. The carp are gradually conditioned to feed at these box nets using cracked corn as bait. 

Each year, ACD staff revisit a variety of previously installed projects to ensure that they are holding up throughout their expected lifespan. For the project owners, this is an opportunity to reconnect with technical experts and ask questions. For project managers, this improves our understanding of which materials and approaches result in the greatest success over time. For the projects themselves, this helps address issues before they become unmanageable, ensuring the natural resource benefits provided continue for years to come. 

A fundamental aspect of managing any pest is correctly identifying it. Historically, identifying weeds has involved using some form of a taxonomic tool. Fortunately, technology has advanced significantly in assisting with plant identification; several free and paid mobile applications are now available to the public. PictureThis and iNaturalist apps both have free versions that rely on some form of community-supported identification. Major phone manufacturers are also increasing photo recognition abilities in their camera apps. Android uses Google Lens to search the internet for similar-appearing photos to help identify a plant or other object. Apple's IOS uses Visual Look Up to perform a function similar to Google's.

Each of these platforms has its advantages and disadvantages, and each should be used with a healthy dose of skepticism. Unfortunately, these apps are not very reliable at correctly identifying grasses, so they are somewhat limited to broadleaf plants. Remember that these apps are simply a tool to help you correctly identify a plant. They will likely improve in accuracy as cameras and computer processing improve over time. 

Read the full article in the latest edition of the "Home Lawn Care Newsletter" from the University of Minnesota Turgrass Science. Other topics include encouraging better rooting through improved watering practices, utilizing technology to identify weed species reliably, and learning how to manage your lawn for moles, as well as upcoming events. For more information, contact Becky Wozny, Wetland Specialist, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  

ACD staff have been working hard this season to remove garlic mustard seed from a woodland restoration site in Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park. By removing these biennial plants in their second year of growth, we aim to drastically reduce the seed source for new garlic mustard plants. With this reduced seed source, we hope to find fewer new garlic mustard plants when we return next spring. For more information, contact Jordi Johnson, Restoration Technician, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  

ACD has developed informative videos on a variety of topics, all of which can be accessed on ACD's website and YouTube Channel. The videos cover topics such as signs and causes of erosion, river-friendly lawn care, and various best management practices. The "Our Connection" video series is both informative and easy to follow, and has become a valuable educational tool for teaching students about the environment. For more information contact Kathy Berkness, Office Administrator, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

A third proposal for habitat enhancement in the Rum River Corridor was selected for funding by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council. Numerous project partners plan to use these Legacy Amendment funds to enhance 27 acres of wildlife habitat and almost a quarter mile of streambank and fish habitat from the Rum's beginnings at Lake Mille Lacs to the Rum's confluence with the Mississippi River in the City of Anoka. State funds from the Outdoor Heritage Fund, part of the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment, will total $1,356,000, with an additional $150,000 in matching funds provided by partner organizations. The grant period is five years from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2030. 

The Rum River Corridor is critical for habitat and species richness for Species in Greatest Conservation Need, including Blanding's Turtle and two native mussel species. It is also part of the Wildlife Action Network in Minnesota's Wildlife Action Plan. Phase 3 builds upon the successful implementation of Phase 1 and the ongoing enhancements to the Rum River habitat in Phase 2. The partnership has expanded to address this critical and valuable wildlife corridor as a whole, extending beyond the borders of Anoka County, where Phase 1 began.

For more information, check out the links below or contact Jared Wagner, Water Resource Specialist, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment
Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council

Outdoor Heritage Fund 

Unlike our sanitary sewers, water, trash, and other debris entering storm drains are not routed to a treatment facility; instead, they drain into wetlands, lakes, and rivers. Some stormwater pipes drain directly to these waterbodies, while others may first pass through features like manmade ponds to provide some treatment. In either case, reducing pollution at the source is the most effective way to protect our local waters. To this end, the need to keep trash and debris out of the streets is clear. However, when flushed down the storm drain, even organic plant materials such as grass clippings, leaves, and other yard waste also contribute to harmful nutrient pollution, causing algae blooms, reduced oxygen levels, and other issues in downstream waters. 

Keeping excess plant material out of the street isn't just beneficial for water quality; it also prevents flooding, reduces the cost of storm sewer maintenance and repair, and improves travel safety. It's for these reasons that intentionally blowing leaves, grass clippings, or other materials into the street is illegal in most Minnesota cities. Instead, dispose of them at your local compost facility or through a curbside yard waste provider. If you'd like to play a more active role in improving stormwater quality, consider becoming involved in the Adopt-a-Drain program. 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..  

ACD is monitoring invasive phragmites populations around the county this month. Phragmites australis is a tall invasive grass species that can take over wetland areas, riverbanks, lakeshores, and stormwater ponds if left untreated. ACD collaborates with partners to track and control its spread. This invasive grass has a native counterpart, Phragmites australis subspecies americanus. Native Phragmites has distinct red bands along its stem, whereas the invasive species has a pale blue-green color throughout its entire stem (see picture below). 

If you notice tall grass (up to 15 feet) in a wetland, lakeshore, or roadside ditch near you, it is worth reporting on EDDMapS so that ACD staff can be aware of any new populations in the county. Follow a quick tutorial on how to use EDDMapS. For more information, contact Balin Magee, Resource Technician, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  

Are you sick of goose poop covering your lawn? Plant a buffer of native grasses, flowers, and shrubs along your shoreline to keep them out! Geese are drawn to open spaces with short, well-fertilized grass, which provides them with a buffet of their favorite food and a sense of security with the ability to easily spot predators. Add water (your lake) to the mix, and you've created an easily accessible 'goose haven'. Taller, denser vegetation along the water's edge deters geese from accessing your lawn from the lake, encouraging them to move along in search of greener pastures.  

The thicker the buffer, the more effective it will be. Not only do buffers discourage nuisance wildlife – they also provide a multitude of other benefits, including protecting your shoreline from erosion, improving water quality, and providing food and habitat for pollinators. You can use this helpful collection of technical resources, produced by the Minnesota DNR, to plan your buffer project. For more information, contact Breanna Keith, Water Resource Specialist, at Breanna.Keith@AnokaSWCD.  

As summer warms up, the likelihood of harmful algae blooms increases. Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, are a type of photosynthetic bacteria. Cyanobacteria are naturally found in all lakes, rivers, and ponds, and, like plants and algae, they perform photosynthesis, obtaining their energy from the sun. Unlike true algae, cyanobacteria aren't a key part of the food chain, and most organisms choose not to eat them. Under the right circumstances, cyanobacteria can multiply to form a bloom. A bloom is a sudden increase in cyanobacterial cells in a specific area of water. Some species of cyanobacteria can create toxins that are harmful to human and animal health, known as cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs). 

CyanoHABs can make people and animals sick if they breathe in, swallow, or come into contact with water or scum that contains toxins. Sunlight, high temperatures, and abundant nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen, can increase the likelihood of a bloom occurring. Warm weather patterns and significant rain events that result in more stormwater runoff entering the water can also jump-start a bloom. Blooms typically occur during the warmer months, between mid-June and mid-September. As Minnesota's climate changes, it's fueling more frequent and intense rain events, floods, and warmer weather, contributing to more harmful algal blooms. For more information, check out the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency webpage or contact Kris Larson, Water Resource Specialist, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Mussels, often referred to as clams, can be found in many lakes and rivers in Minnesota. Of the 51 freshwater mussel species that have historically lived in Minnesota, 28 are now gone, endangered, threatened, or of special concern. None of them are legal to catch or relocate. If a rare mussel has been identified in an area of a lake or river where a project is proposed, the permit process grinds to a halt. At the same time, experts with specialized certifications are called in, equipped with scuba gear, to carefully locate and relocate mussels from the construction zone. Few people have the necessary expertise and it can take a long time to get one to a job site. The not-so-rare mussels are left to fend for themselves.

All of this intersects with the Anoka Conservation District's (ACD) services, as we often help property owners on lakes and rivers address excessive erosion. Left unchecked, bank erosion can impair water quality, smother wildlife, and damage property and infrastructure. We've been fortunate to avoid all identified rare mussel populations and the permitting challenges that come with them. We started thinking about what would happen if our luck runs out and asked ourselves, "What if we could come up with a way to safely relocate all mussels from all construction zones without hiring Scuba Steve?" We may have come up with a solution that contractors could implement with readily available equipment at a reasonable cost, but first, there are some things you should know about mussels.

Mussels are interesting creatures. When they're born, they must immediately latch onto the gills of a fish, where they live rent-free until they are large enough to drop off and sink into the sand. Each mussel species can only pair up with a specific fish species. Some mussels live over 100 years and most of that time is spent in the top 4 inches of sand and gravel in lakes and rivers. Most mussels prefer to hide in river or lake bottoms with only their mouths sticking out of the sand. Mussels eat by siphoning water and filter out microscopic organisms and plant material that are floating by. They are like HEPA filters, purifying our water bodies. While mussels can move several feet a day to escape dropping water levels, they often spend their entire lives within an area smaller than a kitchen table. They are fairly helpless, except that some local species have such hard and sharp shells that they earned the name heel-splitter, yikes!

We explored numerous ideas before settling on one that we believe has promise. Those left on the cutting room floor included:

• doing nothing because then all of the mussels would die;
• excavating out the soil in the construction zone because the mussels would likely be crushed and die;
• using a rake or sieve because only large mussels could be extracted and the rest would be left to die; and
• hydro-excavation using an impeller because it's difficult to control and needs an electrical power supply, which near water would set up the operator potentially to die.

All of those options simply involved too much dying. So, we landed on using hydro-excavation, using a high-pressure water pump to blow the top 4" of sand and gravel out into the water and out of the construction zone. 

ACD has been out in the field, monitoring the water quality and water quantity of Anoka County's streams and rivers. Stream water quality monitoring is conducted to detect and diagnose water quality problems that impact the ecological integrity of waterways, recreation, and human health. Since many streams systems are connected to lakes, water quality in streams is often studied as part of lake management. Hydrology is the study of water quantity and movement. Knowledge regarding the amount of water flowing in a stream helps engineers and natural resource professionals understand the effects of rain events, land development, and stormwater management. This information is often paired with water quality monitoring and used to calculate pollutant loadings, which are used in computer models and water pollution regulatory determinations.