Rain garden revitalization is beginning in the Coon Creek Watershed as ACD moves forward with a project to restore aging stormwater infrastructure and enhance long-term water quality. 

 Funded through state Watershed-Based Implementation Funding, the initiative focuses on older rain gardens that still effectively capture and filter stormwater runoff but may no longer function as intended due to age and accumulated sediment. Rain gardens help capture runoff from streets, driveways, and rooftops before it reaches nearby water resources.

Interest in the program has been strong, with over 30 landowners volunteering their rain gardens for consideration, exceeding the number of sites funding can support. Site visits are currently taking place and will continue throughout June and July to evaluate conditions and prioritize locations with the greatest opportunity for improvement.

 During site visits, staff document rain garden conditions, measure sediment accumulation, and evaluate overall function. Selected rain gardens will be revitalized through sediment removal, infrastructure repairs where needed, and improved plantings to help restore function and keep local lakes and streams cleaner.

Want to learn more about how rain gardens work and why they matter? Check out ACD's rain garden video on YouTube. 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..

On a sunny June evening, natural resource professionals, lake residents, and municipal officials enjoyed a pontoon tour of Lake George, including ACD, Lake George Conservation Club (LGCC), Lake George Improvement District (LGID), Upper Rum River Watershed Management Organization (URRWMO), and members of the Oak Grove City Council. 

As the group enjoyed the lake, ACD demonstrated several types of water quality monitoring protocols and equipment. Residents shared personal stories about growing up on the lake and connections that have made it such a meaningful part of their lives. Public officials discussed the lake's value to the community and the importance of keeping it in good condition. The tour even included a special sighting of the lake's resident loon family, complete with twin chicks enjoying the warm weather.

Events like this highlight the importance of community involvement in protecting our local waters. Monitoring lake conditions, sharing knowledge, and working together across organizations helps ensure that Lake George remains a healthy resource for both wildlife and residents. Lake George is fortunate to have a dedicated network of volunteers, local leaders, and conservation partners committed to preserving this treasured community asset for future generations.

For more information, contact Lauren Schemlzer, Outreach & Natural Resources Technician, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

ACD staff and the board of supervisors held their annual workshop this past May. This meeting is to update their annual plan for the coming year and to give staff and supervisors time to spend together. ACD identified several keystone endeavors: Surface Water, Ecological Resources, Groundwater, Soils, and Community and General Operations. To discuss how well ACD is accomplishing each endeavor, staff and supervisors met in groups to discuss what is being done well and what needs improvement. ACD will incorporate the information gathered into its annual plan.

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

As rivers wind and cut new paths across the landscape, they leave behind curved depressions called "oxbows". Though these old segments of river channel have been cut off, they continue to serve important hydrologic and ecological functions. In natural settings, they hold water to reduce flooding and provide seasonal wetland habitat. Often, due to ditching, these oxbows are artificially separated from the river during high water, or drained so they do not hold water as long.

ACD staff are in the process of implementing two oxbow enhancement projects along the Rum River. The first is at a new conservation easement near the City of Princeton. The second is in Rum River Central Regional Park in Ramsey, MN. The two oxbows are impacted differently but will provide similar benefits once complete. 

The oxbow near Princeton has historically been separated from the river via an artificial berm. This berm prevented the river from flooding into the surrounding farm field during periods of high water. This berm improved farm access for planting, but it kept the oxbow dry except during severe flood events. The landowner has placed the field under a conservation easement, with plans to restore the area to prairie and woods. We have partnered with Isanti SWCD, USFWS, and The Nature Conservancy to create a stabilized connection point through the berm that will allow the river to flood into the oxbow every two to five years instead of every fifty.

The Rum River Central Regional Park oxbow is impacted in the opposite way as the Princeton oxbow. This oxbow frequently floods from high river levels, but it was ditched to the river to drain as quickly as possible. We are partnering with Anoka County Parks to install risers on the culverts along the historical ditch, raising the elevation and the duration of water retention. Rather than allowing this oxbow to flood more frequently, we are helping it retain water for longer.

Stay tuned for project updates and photos as construction begins later this year! For more information, contact Jared Wagner, Water Resource Specialist, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

You can help contain the spread of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)!. Avoid cutting or pruning Ash trees from May 1 through September 31, as EAB is most active during this time. Do not transport firewood off the site where it was collected; doing so may release adults into a previously infested area. The Twin Cities metro and much of Eastern MN are within an EAB quarantine zone. Transporting firewood out of this area risks spreading this forest disease. Find more information on ACD's website.

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

The Rum River has over 7 miles of shoreline with some degree of erosion. Riverbank stabilization practices protect property, enhance shoreline habitat, and improve downstream fisheries by improving water clarity and protecting spawning areas. Cedar tree revetments are among the most cost-effective means of addressing moderate riverbank erosion before it worsens.

Anoka County Parks was awarded a Conservation Partners Legacy grant to install 2,500 feet of cedar revetment on eroding sections of the Rum River. ACD was contracted by Anoka County Parks and completed this work between 2023 and 2025. ACD overdelivered by installing 2,933 feet of revetment within available funds.

Cedar tree revetments use Eastern red cedar trees anchored along an eroding riverbank to slow the current. This decreases erosion and allows silt and sand to deposit. The deposited material forms a seedbed. By the time the cedar trees have decayed, the bank is stabilized by the roots of the living trees. 

The MNDNR was excited about what they saw and encouraged Anoka County Parks to continue their revetment program, which is now in its 3rd phase. With the support from the state, Anoka County Parks will likely apply for another phase of funding this coming August.

Restoring streambanks and establishing habitat along public riverbanks will benefit the thousands of Anoka County residents who frequent local parks, as well as Rum River enthusiasts each year. 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.. 

 Spring is the perfect time to upgrade your lawn irrigation system. Smart irrigation tools—such as Wi-Fi-enabled controllers, soil moisture sensors, and rain sensors—help your system adjust automatically based on weather and soil conditions. These upgrades take the guesswork out of watering and prevent overwatering.

Thanks to the Metropolitan Council's Water Efficiency Grant Program, funded by the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment, several Anoka County cities are offering rebates for smart irrigation controllers that reduce water waste and lower your water bill. Click the links below or check with your city to learn more about eligibility and how to apply.

• Smart irrigation controller rebates: Coon Rapids, Fridley, Lino Lakes, Ramsey
• Irrigation audits to assess water efficiency: Fridley

Smart irrigation is a simple, effective step toward more resilient water resources—right here in Anoka County. Visit the University of Minnesota Extension's Lawn Care website for additional lawn management resources. 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..

With the arrival of spring also comes tick season. After spending time in tall grass or wooded areas, it is important to check yourself and anyone with you to ensure you remove any ticks that may have attached themselves to your clothing or skin. 

While wood ticks are most common, it is important to be aware that deer ticks are also found in Anoka County. Deer ticks can carry illnesses such as Lyme disease, human anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and the Powassan virus. The Minnesota DNR website provides information about how to appropriately respond in the event that you have been bitten by a deer tick: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/insects/deerticks/index.html 

ACD has been helping to control garlic mustard populations at Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park as part of a multiyear effort. At a recent volunteer event, ACD staff and volunteers pulled garlic mustard, effectively clearing an area the size of a football field! We are very grateful for the help of our volunteers, and the Coon Rapids Park will benefit tremendously from their efforts. 

Interested in volunteering? Visit our ACD's Eventbrite page to browse and sign up for upcoming and future events. For more information, contact Lauren Schmelzer, Outreach and Natural Resource Technician, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  

The Rice Creek Watershed District's (RCWD) Water Quality Grant Program annually funds projects benefitting priority local waterbodies. Eligible practices include lakeshore and streambank stabilizations, curb-cut rain gardens, stormwater treatment, agricultural practices, and wetland restorations. Cost share rates vary based on the type of project and the water quality benefits achieved. Learn more about this program HERE. If you are an Anoka County resident within the Rice Creek watershed boundaries, contact Breanna Keith at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for a free consultation.

If your property is not well-suited to a water quality improvement project but you're interested in improving native habitat on your property, consider applying for RCWD's Mini-Grant Program. 

It's spring and many of us are thinking about planting!. Many great online resources exist to help guide landowners. The links below will bring you to webpages on pollinators, site identification, plant selection, planting hints, and much more:

• Metro Blooms and Blue Thumb (See "Plant Finder" on the Resources page.)
• MN Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) Pollinator and Biodiversity Toolbox
  • "Creating Residential Pollinator Habitat" page for garden templates for different light/moisture conditions and more.
  • Planting for Pollinators: Principles and Design for Residential Pollinator Habitat
  • Pollinator garden templates for native plant pollinator gardens
    • Shady Garden
    • Rain Garden
    • Sunny and Low (Boulevard) Garden
• DNR Minnesota's Pollinators
• University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota Extension
  • Native Plants page
  • Plant for bees and other pollinators page
  • Minnesota Wildflowers – A Field Guide to the Flora of Minnesota

Resources for shoreline areas

• DNR Planting Trees and Shrubs on Your Shoreline
• DNR Planting Perennials on Your Shoreline
• DNR Natural shorelines page

The list above was compiled by the MNDNR in their March 2026 Water Talk Newsletter.

It is easy to recognize large, eroding riverbanks as a problem. Along the Rum River, which flows through the Anoka Sand Plain, twenty-foot-tall cliffs along outer bends are not an uncommon sight. Stabilizing these banks protects the land behind them and keeps soil and nutrients out of the river. Exactly how to approach stabilization is a balancing act unique to each site. 

At the most extreme, steel and concrete walls are used to protect valuable infrastructure and roads. Rock riprap is a common practice employed to protect homes near eroding shorelines. In some cases, particularly where no infrastructure is at risk, a vegetative approach can be best. These vegetative approaches often require less equipment and cost much less than hard armoring, and they provide additional habitat benefit for wildlife.

At a new conservation easement along the Rum River in Isanti County, we employed crew members from Conservation Corps MN & Iowa to plant 600 live willow and dogwood cuttings along the toe of an eroding Rum Riverbank. The riverbank is far from any homes or infrastructure. The land behind the riverbank was a corn field that will be planted with native vegetation. Because the risk of loss at this site is so minimal, we opted for a soft, natural approach over expensive hard armoring. The hope is that the planted stakes will take root and grow, establishing dense tree cover along the lower slope. The upper slope will continue to shift until it reaches equilibrium, but if the toe remains in place, the bank will have a chance to heal and fully revegetate over time. Because the investment of time and materials was so low, we can try again if the stakes die from flooding or drought. 

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

ACD Supervisors and staff recently met with members of the Anoka County legislative delegation as part of our annual outreach efforts to stay connected and share conservation updates. These meetings provide an opportunity to highlight how ACD partners with landowners, local government entities, and other organizations to deliver voluntary projects that improve water quality, restore habitat, and support resilient communities. From stormwater treatment in urban areas to shoreline stabilization and habitat work along the Rum River, as well as pollinator plantings and invasive species management, ACD's projects are designed to provide lasting local benefits. 

Discussions this year focused on recent ACD projects, emerging natural resource challenges, and the importance of sustained funding to continue delivering cost-effective conservation results. ACD also shared their interactive dashboards that showcase projects and illustrate how this work is making a difference throughout Anoka County.

We appreciate the time and engagement of our local legislators and look forward to continuing to serve as a trusted, non-regulatory resource on natural resource issues.

To explore projects in your community, visit ACD's interactive ecological and water project dashboards, where you can filter by location, project type, and year to see how conservation is making a difference across 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's longstanding work addressing non-point source pollution enabled us to bring meaningful, real-world context to the current event station at this year's Metro Area Envirothon. The Envirothon is an event where teams of students rotate through six stations covering a variety of environmental topics. 

Non-point source pollution occurs when runoff carries contaminants into waterways indirectly, rather than from a single, identifiable source like a pipe. It can originate from a wide range of land uses and activities, including agriculture, roadways, and urban areas. This issue aligns with ACD's work throughout Anoka County. Projects such as rain gardens help capture and treat stormwater runoff before pollutants reach our lakes and streams.

ACD developed a detailed study guide and tests for middle- and high-school participants, with over 100 students across 13 teams from the Twin Cities Metro Area. By leading the station, ACD connects students to conservation challenges and solutions, helping build awareness and inspire the next generation of environmental stewards. For more information, contact Lauren Schmelzer, Outreach and Natural Resource Technician, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..