Dellwood River Park Shoreline Stabilization – Project Update

A design has been finalized to stabilize 650-feet of eroding Rum Riverbank at Dellwood River Park in St. Francis. Erosion of the riverbank is causing numerous trees to fall into the river and is threatening a popular walking trail. The project design, currently in the permitting phase, features three primary protection measures;

  • 1) Two severely eroding zones of riverbank encroaching on the trail will be built back out, armored with rock riprap, and potentially have large tree root-wads added to provide in-stream habitat elements. The riprapped length of bank will total approximately 180-feet in length.
  • 2) Three bendway weirs constructed of rock will protrude at a 45° into the river. These low-lying, linear features will be submerged under the water, and will push flow and erosive scour back toward the middle of the channel, rather than along the outer bank. The bendway weirs will also add variable flow areas and habitat value in the channel. These will be great features to cast around for any fisher folks from shore!
  • 3) And finally, the less severe eroding areas of riverbank will be armored with cedar trees in a technique called a "cedar tree revetment". Cut eastern red cedars will be cabled together in a shingled fashion along the bank and secured with earth anchors driven into the soil. This is a bioengineering approach that is softer and less expensive than rock which should help the bank stabilize, vegetate, and stabilize over time before the cedar trees eventually rot away.

For more information contact Jared Wagner at 763.434.2030 ext.200 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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SONAR AS A DESIGN TOOL FOR SHORELINE STABILIZATION PROJECTS

Data collection on the Rum River.

ACD staff have been testing the use of sonar to aid with the design of shoreline stabilization projects.

Lake and river bottom elevations are often required when designing projects. Collecting these bottom elevations manually with survey equipment often pose safety risks, limits resolution, and can be time consuming. Automated collection of underwater elevation data is possible with readily available sonar technology and post-processing services. Manually collecting data at the same resolution is infeasible.

A fishing depth finder and transducer combination with active mapping capabilities is necessary for data collection. The equipment can be configured in a portable setup for use in a kayak, canoe, or motorized boat to enable data collection on a variety of waterbodies (e.g. stormwater ponds, lakes, or the Mississippi River). While idling or paddling around the area of interest, data is collected and stored on a memory card and then uploaded to a third-party software for post-processing.

Technology limitations still remain, but the end products provide a picture of the underwater landscape through a variety of file types that are useful for project design, mapping, and inventory work. 

For more information contact Mitch Haustein at 763.434.2030 ext. 150 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Minnesota Gets New LiDAR Data

LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging. The landscape is mapped by laser pulses projected from a low-flying airplane. These pulses bounce back to a sensor which records the location of the airplane, the angle of the pulse, and the time it takes the light to bounce back. Using that information, the system is able to create a point cloud of the landscape. This point cloud is then converted into modeled surface of the ground called a Digital Elevation Model (DEM). This model can be used to map terrain features like water flow paths and drainage areas, geologic features, infrastructure, and many others.

The first generation of LiDAR data in Minnesota was collected from 2008-2012. Since then, the landscape has changed in untold ways, and technology has dramatically improved for collecting more dense and accurate data. Because of this, the 3D Geomatics Committee of the State's Geospatial Advisory Council set out to coordinate the collection of Generation 2 LiDAR in Minnesota. This effort is currently underway in partnership with the USGS as the lead data collection entity nationally, and counties and other local partners as the ultimate data recipients. Generation 2 LiDAR data collection started in 2021. Anoka County data was collected in 2022, and will be available in 2023.

This new data will allow us to map watercourses, drainage areas, and floodways in much higher resolution and with more accurate and recent data from the landscape. We'll also be able to assess eroding slopes like those along riverbanks for height, steepness, and stability without having to traverse them with survey gear. Because the new data is so robust, it is also opening up possibilities for forestry and vegetation surveys, very detailed mapping of infrastructure, and untold uses yet to be implemented or even thought of.

For more information about this incredibly useful public data, visit the Minnesota LiDAR Hub online at: https://lidarhub-minnesota.hub.arcgis.com/ 

LiDAR produced Digital Elevation Model (DEM) left, aerial photography right, along a river in Minnesota.
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ACD's New Grading System

2022 Report Card
ACD recently took the time to look back on 2022 and take stock in how well we've been doing to implement our 2021-2030 Natural Resources Stewardship Plan. We looked at 24 Keystone Endeavors across four priority natural resources, our human resource (community), and internal operations. We also considered foundational knowledge gained through monitoring, inventory, analysis and planning. 

10-year Goals
A prerequisite to gauge success was to define clearly our 10-year expectations and aspirations for each keystone endeavor based on our current and anticipated staff and financial capacity. Some goals are easily quantified measured while others are more subjective. 

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Garlic Mustard Pull at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve

Garlic Mustard

Garlic Mustard Pull at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve
May 16th, from 9:00 am - 11:00 am


Join ACD and Cedar Creek staff to remove an invasive Garlic Mustard patch from the interior of Cedar Creek property. Bring bug spray, water bottle, long pants and hiking boots as we walk to the site. Utilize this on-hands training to learn more about how to identify and remove garlic mustard.

Work tools and other supplies will be provided.

For more information visit the event page or contact
Carrie Taylor at 763-434-2030 ext. 190 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Lunch with a Scientist Series

Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve
May 9th from 11:30 – 1:00

Carrie Taylor, Restoration Ecologist with the Anoka Conservation District, will discuss how to identify and control invasive species. 
Come in person or join online. In-person attendees will also complete a short hike at the Cedar Creek Science Reserve.

For more information visit the event page or contact Carrie Taylor at 763-434-2030 ext. 190 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
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Welcome Brian Clark!

Brian Clark joined the Anoka Conservation District in March 2023 as a Natural Resource Technician. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota. He is also a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Minnesota.

Brian was born and raised in Blaine, Minnesota. After graduating from college, he had the opportunity to work for the federal government as a structural engineer at a public shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. After four years, he returned back to Minnesota and joined the Anoka Conservation District team to develop a career focused on natural resource management and environmental remediation.



Brian will be providing technical assistance with water monitoring, natural resource inventories, landowner assistance, project installation and inspections, invasive species management, and product processing and distribution. He has aspiring goals to use his Civil Engineering background and his licensure as a Professional Engineer to provide a unique benefit to the Anoka Conservation District.

Brian has a creative soul and enjoys playing music, writing, and videography. He enjoys the Minnesotan outdoors – from the blistering cold winters to the hot and humid summers – and you can often find him walking at the local parks and trails within Anoka County. He has had the opportunity to travel around the world for work and has spent up to several months at a time in locations like Japan, Guam, Hawaii, California, and sometimes on an aircraft carrier in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. 

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Adopt-a-Drain Coming to Lakeshore Neighborhoods

The Anoka Conservation District (ACD) is seeking volunteers to adopt-a-drain. A storm drain, that is. But not just any drain – we're looking for volunteers to adopt drains that directly discharge into Linwood, Fawn, Coon, or Martin Lakes. ACD will be partnering with local lake associations to help with promotion and outreach. Adopt-a-drain is also available elsewhere in Anoka County and the state. Homeowners who adopt-a-drain will clean sand, leaves and other debris away from the drain periodically to help keep the lake clean.

Adopt-a-drain is a roaring program in many communities but is just getting started around these lakes as a collaboration between the Sunrise River Watershed Management Organization and ACD. Volunteer to Adopt-a-drain at https://mn.adopt-a-drain.org/.

For more information about the adopt-a-drain program, contact Logan Olson at 763-434-2030 ext. 180 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Enhanced Street Sweeping Starting in Linwood Township

Starting this spring, Linwood Township will be changing its approach to street sweeping in order to benefit water quality in Linwood and Martin Lakes. The Anoka Conservation District (ACD) worked with Linwood Township to study local roads and drainage networks and modeled different street sweeping options. They found that simply doubling the amount of street sweeping would result in approximately five times the pollutants from entering the lakes.

To achieve these benefits, the township will stop sweeping some streets that don't drain to the lake, add some street segments that do drain to the lakes, and increase the sweeping frequency of those streets from once annually to four times a year.

The study was fully funded by the Lower St. Croix (LSC) Partnership. ACD is receiving additional grant dollars from the LSC to partially fund the increased cost to the township.


For more information about this program, contact Jamie Schurbon at 763-434-2030 ext. 210 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Funding Available For Agricultural Practices

The Anoka Conservation District is offering incentive grants to agricultural producers who use land management practices that benefit water quality and soil health. Eligible agricultural practices include cover crops, no-till, strip-till, conservation-tillage, prescribed grazing, nutrient management, and others. Available funding varies by the type of practice. A three-year commitment is required by the landowner to qualify for the program. 

For more information about this great opportunity, contact Jamie Schurbon at 763-434-2030 ext. 210 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

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Common Landscaping Plants Added to MN Noxious Weed List

Earlier this year, the MN Dept of Agriculture (MDA) added Amur Silvergrass (Miscanthus sacchariflorus) and Winged Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus) to the Restricted category of the state noxious weed list. It is unlawful to sell or propagate Restricted plant species and landowners are encouraged to manage their spread.

Amur silvergrass has been used as an ornamental plant in the US for over a century. It forms dense colonies that can aggressively outcompete native species. Consider replacing this species in your landscaping with showy native grasses such as little bluestem (Schizacharium scoparium), yellow prairie grass (Sorghastrum nutans), or prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis).

Winged burning bush was also introduced to the US as an ornamental shrub. While its dense thickets made it a popular hedgerow plant, they also enable it to crowd out native vegetation when allowed to spread into natural areas. Winged burning bush produces many seeds which are distributed by wildlife, allowing it to easily spread over long distances. Consider replacing this species with native shrubs such as serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia), chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), and button bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis).

Learn more about identification and management of these invasive species with these MDA resources on Amur Silvergrass and Winged Burning Bush

ACD Contact: Carrie Taylor, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 763.434.2030 x190

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Financial Dashboard Added to ACD’s Website: Improving Transparency and Accountability to the Public We Serve

Online dashboards are an increasingly popular way to display summary information about otherwise complex data sets. Beginning in 2022, ACD started using dashboards to highlight annual and cumulative progress on ecological and water quality oriented projects. The most recent addition to ACD dashboards is one that shows ACD financials going back to 2010. "While it took a bit of time to format financial data to work with the dashboard interface, I think it was well worth it" Anoka Conservation District Manager Chris Lord said. "We beta tested it with several of our state legislators during virtual meetings and they responded very positively." The data extend back to 2010 specifically to capture all of the funds ACD has received from the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Constitutional Amendment.  

The next dashboard in the lineup will show ACD progress toward 10-Year Natural Resource Stewardship Plan goals. For more information contact Chris Lord,  763.434.2030 x130, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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SHORELINE STABILIZATION PRESENTATION

Anoka Conservation District staff were invited to provide a presentation at the annual Stearns County Shoreland Workshop. The workshop is required for contractors conducting shoreland work in Stearns County to ensure an understanding of permit requirements and best practices. Stormwater and Shoreland Specialist, Mitch Haustein, provided a 45-minute presentation to approximately 120 attendees. Topics included site prioritization, funding, partnering with landowners, design, permitting, bidding, construction, project closeout, and establishment and maintenance. Lessons learned were also shared throughout the presentation. The presentation was very well received by attendees.

ACD Contact: Mitch Haustein,  763.434.2030 x150, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Assistance for Shoreline Erosion

The Anoka Conservation District (ACD) currently has a number of grant opportunities available for addressing shoreline erosion along streams and lakes in Anoka County. If you have noticed your lakeshore migrating backwards over time, or perhaps you once had a low walkable area along your river frontage that is now gone, ACD may be able to help design and even fund a project to protect your property.

The first step is a site visit to your property by ACD staff. Now is a great time to reach out to the district and plan a site visit for the spring. ACD staff will assess erosion problems, provide professional advice, and determine if your shoreline might qualify for financial assistance through one of our various grant programs. Shoreline restorations don't just benefit your property but also help improve water quality in your lake or river and enhances habitat for wildlife. 

For more information contact Jared Wagner,  763.434.2030 x200, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Identifying Wetland Restoration Opportunities in Anoka County

Anoka County is rich in wetlands that provide countless benefits to the county's ecological and water resources. Wetlands capture and filter floodwater and runoff, provide habitat for aquatic and terrestrial species, and help recharge the groundwater supply. Anoka County has lost approximately half of its original wetlands since European settlement. Historically wetlands have been drained and filled to create more useable land for agriculture and rural development. Many regulations exist to protect wetlands today, but a history of impacts combined with present-day challenges such as invasive vegetation, increasing demands for housing and suburban development, and altered hydrology threaten what remains.

For these reasons, the Anoka Conservation District (ACD) has increased efforts to identify wetland protection and restoration opportunities. An inventory of restorable wetlands was recently completed for two priority watersheds in the county including the Ford Brook watershed and the Rum River direct drainage watershed. Altogether, approximately 70 potential wetland restoration sites were identified across both private and public lands. In the coming months, ACD will conduct outreach and explore these possible opportunities in more depth, with the goal of restoring hydrology and native vegetation at one or more sites in 2024.

ACD has enhanced wetland habitat via vegetation management for several years, but hydrologic restorations are a relatively new endeavor which require careful planning, holistic approaches, and multi-agency collaboration. In 2022, five acres' worth of wetlands on public land were successfully restored by plugging drainage ditches which restored previous hydrology conditions and managed current vegetation such as the invasive reed canary grass to improve habitat with a diversity of native species.

For more information contact Brenna Keith, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Candidate wetland restoration sites (shown in red) for the Ford Brook watershed in Northwestern Anoka County.
A wetland restoration completed at Cedar Creek Conservation area in 2022 included reed canary grass removal (above) to improve the wetlands’ native vegetation communities.
The Cedar Creek wetland restoration also included ditch plugs (above) to improve the wetlands’ water-holding capacity.
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