Home

Way Park Community Planting Day

2012-05-03T18:45:15Z

Join us for a community planting day to plant the new rain gardens in Way Park from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 19th. Come for an hour, or the day.

No gardening experience necessary. Bring gloves and a shovel if you have them. Please wear comfortable clothing and sturdy footwear. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

Contact Leslie at 507-786-3915 or leslie@crwp.net with questions. Th is event is sponsored by CRWP and the Friends of Way Park with support from the Northfield Area Foundation.

Northfield Rain Garden Class

2012-05-03T18:30:15Z

Join us for a free Blue Thumb class to learn about rain gardens on Thursday, May 17th from 7:00-8:00 p.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church (500 West 3rd St). Rain gardens are not only attractive, but also benefit the Cannon River. Northfield residents may qualify for a $250 grant to install their own rain garden.

The class will cover:

Rain Garden Basics
Design and Installation for your property
Maintenance
Bring a rough sketch of your property layout and downspouts for more site-specific advice.

Attendance is free, but registration is requested. Please contact Leslie at 507-786-3915 or leslie@crwp.net. The class is sponsored by CRWP and the Friends of Way Park with support from the Northfield Area Foundation.

Agriculture or Water Quality? Let's have both.

2012-04-23T14:37:58Z

Interesting read from the Star Tribune Op Ed on April 23rd. We CAN have clean water and successful farms. It's going to take us all working together!

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/148330255.html

Citizen Stream Monitoring Volunteer Opportunties

2012-04-12T15:37:28Z

Want to help us monitor the rivers and streams to assess how the water is changing? It's quick and easy to do. Contact Jessica Van Der Werff at (507) 786-3912 or by email at jessica@crwp.net and she'll help you get started.

Map of river and stream sites that need Citizen Stream Monitors

Learn more about the Citizen Stream Monitoring Program

Bixby Sewer Project Moves Forward

2012-04-12T14:09:20Z

On Tuesday, April 10th, the Steele County Board approved an ordinance that will establish rules for the new sewer system in Bixby. CRWP staff person, Aaron Wills, has worked with Bixby residents and Steele County on this effort for years. This system will help to keep roughly 9,000 thousand gallons per day of wastewater out of the Straight River!

http://owatonna.com/content/steele-county-board-hosts-bixby-public-meeting

Concern over high phosphorus levels in Rice County lakes prompts septic system study

2012-03-30T20:51:39Z

Hoping to control high phosphorus levels in area lakes in Rice County, lakeshore residents and Rice County Planning and Zoning staff invited the University of Minnesota's Onsite Sewage Treatment Program (OSTP) staff to conduct a study of seepage pits on selected lakeshore properties. Seepage pits, also known as dry wells, are outdated wastewater treatment systems linked to contamination of ground and surface waters, as waste effluent moves too quickly through the soil to permit proper removal of contaminants. A recent inventory in Rice County found over 60 properties with active dry well septic systems serving as waste water disposal systems. Many of the properties are situated on Roberds Lake, which is on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s impaired waters list.

For the full article go to

http://wrc.umn.edu/pubs/minnegramonline/MinnegramMarch2012/ConcernoverhighphosphoruslevelsinRiceCountylakespromptsOnsiteSewageTreatmentProgramseepagepitstudy/

CRWP Receives Conservation Leadership Award From The Trust For Public Land

2012-03-30T15:59:31Z

At a ceremony held March 28, 2012 at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul, The Trust for Public Land announced the winners of its fourth annual Conservation Leadership Awards. The awards recognize outstanding achievements in supporting the conservation of Minnesota special places for hunting, fishing, hiking, wildlife observation and other outdoor activities. Read more....

Citizen-led Conversation on Water Quality Actions

2012-03-12T19:03:39Z

Join CRWP, the Lake Pepin Legacy Alliance, Clean Up the River Environment (CURE) and citizens like you as we share a meal and have small group discussions to explore specific projects where we can move forward together as landowners, govenment, non-profits and recreational users of the river.

March 29th - 5:00 - 9:00 PM - St. James Hotel, Red Wing.

Pre-registration REQUIRED - 1-877-269-2873.

Click here for event flyer

Northfield Launches Incentives Program for Rain Barrels and Rain Gardens

2012-03-06T14:14:56Z

The City of Northfield has recently launched an incentive probram for rain gardens and rain barrels. Learn more from this article in the Northfield Patch.

CRWP will be hosting rain barrel workshops and has barrels for sale for $40. With the city's rebate you'd get your barrel for a mere $20. Such a deal!

Video from 2011 Watershed Cleanup

2012-02-23T14:33:20Z

Take a 3 minute break and enjoy this video on You Tube from our fall 2011 Watershed Wide Cleanup. Thanks again to all who helped make this event a huge success!