For testing, bring a water sample to the free walk-in clinic at the Scott County Fairgrounds in Jordan, MN.  This event is supported by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Scott SWCD. It is held in conjunction with the Scott SWCD’s tree pickup. This clinic is free and open to the public; no appointments are necessary.

Join us for a one hour IN-PERSON class at Ritter Farm Park in Lakeville! Learn how native plants, raingardens, and shoreline plantings can bring pollinator and water quality benefits to your yard. The class is FREE and is a pre-requisite to taking part in the hands-on design course and grant program! Learn more.

Join us on Zoom for our FREE workshop on maintaining your raingarden, native garden or shoreline planting. Participants will learn tips and tricks for sprucing up your garden and dealing with maintenance issues throughout the year. Sign up today to help create and maintain a beautiful garden for years to come. Learn more.

Join Twin Cities Trout Unlimited as they help the DNR improve the Vermillion River and this Aquatic Management Area for wildlife and anglers.

Work will include:
-Removing buckthorn, honeysuckle and other invasive species
-Pulling debris out of the water
-Picking up trash

Bring heavy work gloves and a willingness to work hard and maybe get wet!

Virtual meeting access will be posted here when available.

This event is part of Twin Cities Trout Unlimited’s Vermillion River Initiative-a focus on protecting and enhancing this cold water stream so near to the Twin Cities! Join us TCTU as they help the DNR continue to restore the Vermillion River & this Aquatic Management Area for wildlife.

Work will include:

-Removing buckthorn, other invasive species and boxelders
-Dragging and dropping the brush into piles
-Picking up any trash we find

Bring heavy work gloves and a willingness to work hard.

There won’t be any in-water work, but we’ll be able to keep our eyes open for trout!

In case this is cancelled, the back-up day will be June 8, same time and place.

Have you ever looked out at your lawn and thought, “sure would be nice to water less often, reduce the need to fertilize, and spend less time mowing”? Well, we’ve got the program for you! Our new program – Lawns Reimagined – assists landowners in installing a more resilient lawn to reduce water and fertilizer use, and cut down on mowing frequency during the growing season.

Lawns Reimagined is a new program provided through a partnership between the Dakota SWCD, Dakota County, and the Vermillion River Watershed Joint Powers Organization. The goal of the program is to create healthy looking lawns using deeper rooted grasses that are more resilient to weather conditions and climate change while maintaining traditional turfgrass lawn uses.

These lawns will be composed of fescue grass blends that require little to no watering or fertilizer post-establishment; reducing the impact lawns have on the groundwater supply and decreasing nutrient loss to waterbodies through runoff and lawn clippings. It is recommended to reduce mowing frequency which results in reduced carbon emissions from lawn mowers and healthier air at a local level.

The Dakota SWCD will be hosting two workshops for Dakota County residents:
* June 5 in Apple Valley (Municipal Center) at 6 p.m.
* June 12 in Rosemount (Steeple Center) at 6 p.m.

At the workshops, participants will learn about the benefits of an alternative lawn type, along with technical guidance on site preparation, seeding, and long-term maintenance. From there, landowners can apply to receive further assistance. Once applicants have been approved, SWCD staff complete a site visit to further guide site preparation, seeding, and answer any additional questions. Landowners then complete the site preparation and Dakota SWCD will provide landowners with the seed to complete a fall seeding. If the participants are willing to do a little work, the cost to them will be minimal to none!

For more details and to sign up for the workshop, check out the Lawns Reimagined webpage!