The winners of the 2017 Water Quality Improvement Award were announced earlier this month at the December Board meeting.

Four local families were each awarded $500 for their efforts to protect water quality on their own properties and one family received Honorable Mention. The Water Quality Improvement Award was created by the District’s Citizen Advisory Committee to encourage residents to install projects to protect their shorelines, store stormwater and reduce pollutants from running into local waterbodies and to use native vegetation. This is the second year of the award.

According to Jodi See, co-chair of the Award, “We are inspired by the actions these individuals took to protect water quality in our local lakes. These projects require considerable time, effort and money and maintenance, so they are an ongoing commitment. Two of the awardees received assistance from the District’s cost share program. We applaud their devotion to the environment and to their communities.”

The 2017 Award Winners are:
Christian Morkeberg combined a raingarden with shoreline restoration, that reduces runoff to Spring Lake (Photo is of C. Morkeberg’s restoration project).

Cindy Sellin installed a filter strip on her shoreline that slows runoff and prevents contaminants such as sediments, organic matter, nutrients and pathogens from running into Lower Prior Lake.

Jim Lally (nominated by another homeowner) installed a raingarden that reduces stormwater runoff to Spring Lake.

Eric Zastrow (nominated by another homeowner) installed a raingarden on the East Side of Willow Beach Association property, which reduces the runoff and sediment running into Upper Prior Lake.

Honorable Mention: James and Candace Freemon installed a raingarden to catch stormwater runoff that was causing mud and erosion on a hilly and densely shaded corner of their property.

For more information and photos for these awards, please visit the WQ Improvement Award page on our website.