Need help figuring out what types of native plants to add to your yard? Check out this plant selector tool from Blue Thumb!
You can search for plants by name, flower color, bloom time, sun exposure, soil moisture and more.
If you’re interested in putting in a rain garden or shoreline buffer, we have cost-share funds to help residents who live in the District to pay for their projects. Free project design assistance is also available. Contact us for more information!
Do you have an eroding shoreline? Want to make your shoreline more lake-friendly? Join us for our free Restore Your Shoreline Workshop!
Restore Your Shoreline Workshop
Tuesday, April 17 from 6:30 to 8:00pm
Spring Lake Town Hall, 20381 Fairlawn Ave, Prior Lake
At the workshop you’ll learn how to protect and restore your shoreline with seeded or planted buffers between your lawn and the lake. Not only will a shoreline restoration stop the erosion and protect your lakeshore property, you’ll also be helping improve the water quality of the lake you love! Flowers in your planted buffer can add a splash of color to your shoreline and provide habitat for birds and pollinators.
You may even be eligible for free technical assistance to help design your project and for cost share funds of up to 50% of the cost of materials and installation!
This free workshop is open to all Scott County residents. Visit www.scottswcd.org or call the Scott SWCD office at 952-492-5425 to register.
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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.
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Work on Raymond Park is nearing completion and was helped along yesterday by 25 awesome students (and their fantastic teachers) from Prior Lake High School! The students, either part of the EcoTeam or in AP Environment Science at Prior Lake HS, had a chance to learn about the restoration project firsthand and get some hands-on experience. The hard-working crew helped plant native plants along the shoreline and haul mulch to build a new trail through the oak savanna.
The District is partnering with the City of Prior Lake as well as Spring Lake Township and Great River Greening to complete the restoration project at Raymond Park, located on the south side of Spring Lake. The project includes buckthorn removal, an oak savanna restoration, beach plant community restoration and replacing the existing turf grass with low-maintenance grass. For more information on the project check out the project factsheet.
Work at the park is winding down. The shoreline, oak savanna and grass area have all been seeded with native plant species. Buckthorn has been removed from the site or girdled and treated to kill it. Native plant plugs were added along the shoreline by the Prior Lake students this week. Everything at the site should be wrapped up by the end of the year.
View Full Article Raymond Park, Spring Lake, native shoreline, restoration, shoreline, volunteers
Please see attached flyer for specific information or visit www.scottswcd.org to register.