Wondering what the Watershed did in 2020?
Everything from carp management and alum treatments on Spring & Upper Prior Lake and celebrating our 50th anniversary to monitoring the water quality in District lakes & streams and working with farmers to improve their operations and project water quality!
For more, check out our 2020 Annual Report here. You can find past year’s reports on the District Plans & Reports page under the About tab.
Is is lake shore disappearing bit by bit every year?
There are solutions that can prevent that loss and improve the water quality of your area! The District is partnering with the Scott SWCD to offer a FREE online webinar to teach you how to manage and improve your property’s shoreline.
Stabilize your Shoreline Workshop (online)
When: Wed, June 9. 6:30-7:30 pm via webinar.
RSVP for this free workshop HERE to receive the Zoom event link.
The workshop is an opportunity to learn how to protect and stabilize the area between your lawn and the lake. Natural Resource Specialist, Meghan Darley, will go over different planting techniques, and give you all the resources you need to begin your restoration process. Information will include free technical assistance to design your project, suppliers of equipment and seed, and take-home information for your reference.
Free technical assistance to help design your project and financial assistance for materials and installation may be available! The workshop is FREE, but registration is required.
homeowner, lakeshore, shoreline, workshop
Native plant restorations often don’t look like much the first couple of years. The plants are busy establishing their deep root systems which are so great at preventing erosion and allowing water to filter into the soil. Once their roots are established underground, then the plants invest their energies into robust above ground growth and flowering.
Out at Spring Lake Town Hall on the shores of Fish Lake, the native prairie and shoreline restoration areas seeded in fall 2019 are moving into their second growing season. This year the plants will continue to develop their root systems and you will start to see some more action above around too. Later this summer, look for the bright yellow flowers of Black-eyed Susans which are commonly seen early in a site’s restoration. As time goes on, other prairie favorites will follow, especially as the site moves into years three and four.
With native plants patience is key, but very worth it!
This restoration project was partially funded by a Conservation Partners Legacy thanks to the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment’s Outdoor Heritage Fund. The project is a partnership between PLSLWD and Spring Lake Township.
Fish Lake, Spring Lake Town Hall, Spring Lake Township, native plants, native prairie, prairie restoration, restoration, shoreline, shoreline restorationCheck out this video we put together for the Spring Lake Association’s annual meeting in April to see what the District did in 2020 and what’s in store for 2021!
There are many great ways you can celebrate Earth Day. Looking for suggestions? Consider these ideas:
Pick up trash while you’re walking your dog or bring your family, invite some friends or neighbors and head out to pick up trash in your neighborhood, along a trail or at a local park.
After winter there’s plenty of trash to pick up – it often accumulates along the edge of wetlands, waterbodies and unmowed areas.
Did you know runoff from your street flows straight into local streams, wetlands and lakes from the stormdrain on your street?
You can help keep local waterbodies clean by adopting a stormdrain on your street and keeping the drain clean of trash, leaves, dirt and other debris. This helps prevent plastic pollution and excess nutrients from degrading local waters and prevents localized flooding on your street! Adopt your drain at: https://adopt-a-drain.org/.
Help wildlife and pollinators by providing habitat in your yard! Trees can provide great shade and native plants can provide a splash of color and food for pollinators. Removing invasive species like buckthorn, honeysuckle or garlic mustard provides space for native trees and plants which support wildlife.
Find resources on Blue Thumb’s website or call the Scott Soil & Water Conservation District at 952-492-5425 for assistance planning your project.
Go for a walk or bike, find a quiet spot to birdwatch or head to a park with your family.
Want to explore new places close to home? Try our Hike the Watershed Challenge for eleven hikes at local parks in the watershed. Now is a great time to see the spring ephemeral wildflowers in the woods, like bloodroot (see photo)! These small understory plants bloom early in the spring, taking advantage of the sunlight before the trees leaf out for the year.
Relaxing at Rice Lake Park – a Hike the Watershed park. Photo: A. Stelljes
Thanks to the Mississippi WMO for providing the inspiration for this article.
Earth Day