Fall yard & garden maintenance for clean water
Adapted from Friends of the Mississippi River, Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, and University of Minnesota-Extension
Fall yard cleanup is an important annual chore, but not just for the tidiness of your lawn o […]
Ten property owners convert to low-input turf from Lawns Reimagined pilot
The Lawns Reimagined pilot program helped ten property owners convert traditional turf grass lawns to a low-input, resilient fescue grass lawn. The Dakota County Environmental Resources Department, Vermillion Rive […]
Projects and Practices Improving and Protecting Water Resources are Focus of Watershed Tour
More than 60 people collaborating on urban and rural conservation projects and practices attended a tour with the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources ( […]
Wetland Regulations in Minnesota
In 1991, Minnesota adopted the Minnesota Wetland Conservation Act (WCA) into law. The specific purposes of the WCA are expressed in Minnesota Rules Chapter 8420 available here: 8420.0100 – MN Rules Pa […]
Rusty Crayfish: Invasive, but delicious
Are you in the mood for some fresh seafood? How about a crayfish boil? The crayfish, corn, potatoes, and sausage all boiling, providing a wonderful aroma. Add some Old Bay Seasoning and you’ve got a feast. If this sounds fantastic, you can either […]
Keep your goldfish in the tank
Did you see the news this summer about huge goldfish in Keller Lake in Burnsville? A photo of a football-sized fish went viral on social media and even appeared on Good Morning America. While Keller Lake is just outside the Vermillion River Watershed, we a […]
Johnny Cake Ridge Road gets a water quality makeover
In 2019, the City of Apple Valley reconstructed a portion of Johnny Cake Ridge Road. The VRWJPO partnered with the City to install several stormwater best management practices (BMPs) in the road right-of-way and on adjacent public pro […]
Stormwater reuse in city parks saves groundwater – and cash
When Dakota County and the City of Lakeville began planning for the reconstruction of the 202nd Street portion of County Road 50, it became immediately clear that this was more than a simple road project. The corridor’s locatio […]
Check septic systems to reduce E. coli risk
Bacteria lives in our water in many forms, the same way it lives in our bodies. Most species of bacteria are useful. However, harmful bacteria—known as pathogens—can find their way into our waterbodies. Just like they can find their way into o […]
Tracking carp in East Lake
Fish surveys of East Lake show a significant common carp population. Carp are bottom feeders. When they feed on the bottom of the lake, carp can stir up the bottom sediments, releasing phosphorus into the water.
Phosphorus is a basic element for plant growt […]
