HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-05-14 PACKET 05.03.Planting for Clean Water Workshops
We’re midway through our spring Blue Thumb -
Planting for Clean Water Workshops. This year, we’ve
experimented with a couple of new approaches to
promoting and teaching the workshops.
Facebook Advertising
purchased advertising through Facebook to promote
workshops in Oakdale, Woodbury, and Stillwater; the
results were impressive. Each time an ad was running, more than a dozen new people
extended our typical social media reach.
One-on-One Design Time: We have also been experimenting with different workshop
approaches that blend informational presentations with one-on-one garden design time.
During the workshops, WCD design staff and Master Gardener volunteers help attendees to
begin designing a raingarden for their property using an aerial photo with topographic lines.
At the end of the workshops, attendees can sign up for a site visit with a WCD staff person
or apply for a cost-share incentive grant.
Raingarden Workshop stats:
Oakdale - March 4, 20 participants
Woodbury - March 11, 30 participants
Stillwater - April 7, 23 participants
Coming up:
Bayport - Three-part raingarden design series: April 24, 29, May 1, 22 registered
Forest Lake - Shoreline planting workshop: May 6, 19 registered
Aquatic Invasive Species Workshop
workshop held in Scandia on March 15. At the workshop we
DNR boat inspections, shared a success story from a Lake
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Register by April 30 for May 14 Erosion and Sediment Control Workshop
MR 4001 Regulatory Enforcement - Erosion and Sediment
Control
Wed. May 14, 8am-4:30pm at Cottage Grove City Hall
**EMWREP Partners pay only $110 with registration before
April 30 (Regular price: $185)
This one-day course is for personnel responsible for
construction site compliance inspections for NPDES and
appropriate for all experience levels (5.5 PDH). This is a non-
Register at www.erosion.umn.edu
Stormwater U:
Innovation in BMPs
Our April 1 Stormwater
U workshop
at Maplewood
Community Center
was well attended
professionals from
cities, watersheds,
working in the metro area. The workshop consisted of 12 presentations, featuring innovative
approaches to implementing stormwater BMPs.
In workshop evaluations, attendees listed the following topics of interest for future
BMPs in problem soils; Modeling; Stormwater Reuse; and Cold Climate BMPs.
Oakdale Environmental Management Commission: On April 21, Angei Hong spoke
to the Oakdale EMC about raingardens, their role in stormwater management, and other
stormwater management efforts underway at the local and state level.
St. Croix RIver Workshop on the Water: This year’s workshop is tentatively scheduled for
Tuesday, July 29, 5-9pm departing from the Hudson Marina. Learn about the St Croix and its
tributary lakes and streams as community assets with economic, social and environmental
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For Rural Landowners
Horse Workshop: We will be teaming up with Hagberg’s Country Feed , LLC to offer a
workshop for horse owners on Wednesday, May 14, 6-9pm at the Washington County
Grecian Foxglove Workshops: Wendy will also be coordinating two grecian foxglove
workshops on Wed., June 18, 7-8pm at Stillwater Township Hall and Thu., June 19, 7-8pm
at Afton City Hall.
Nitrates Testing in Cottage Grove and Denmark Township: This summer, the
Washington Conservation District and Washington County will be reaching out to
landowners with private wells in Cottage Grove and Denmark Twp. as part of an initiative to
test private wells in southern Washington County for nitrates contamination. The project will
include outreach, water testing, and follow-up site visits with landowners to identify possible
sources of contamination.
Church Project Tour
Warner Nature Center Volunteer Training
Last fall, members from local
On May 5, Angie Hong will be leading a
congregations told us they want to see one
workshop about raingardens, Blue Thumb, and
another’s clean water planting projects.
local water resource issues for volunteers at
So, on Sunday, Aug. 17, 12-4pm, we’ll
the Warner Nature Center in May Twp.
be coordinating a tour of church projects
completed in Washington County and the
Bayport Blue Thumb Party
Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed
District. More info coming this summer!
Margaritas for clean water? A resident in
the Inspiration neighborhood of Bayport has
invited friends to her house on May 3 to learn
about Blue Thumb and planting for clean
water.
An Evening in the Big Backyard
On Aug. 7, 6-7:30pm, we’ll invite Lake Elmo
residents to visit two “big backyards” that
feature raingardens, native plantings, and
pond edge plantings. We’ll be coordinating
the workshop in partnership with Master
Gardeners.
Green Parking Lot Dedication Ceremony at First Presbyterian
in Oak Park Heights, 2011.
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EMWREP Calendar of Events
April
April 24, 29 Blue Thumb Raingarden Design Series - Bayport Library
& May 1 Info at http://tinyurl.com/2014BayportGardens
6:00-8:00pm
May
May 3, 2-4pm Blue Thumb Neighborhood Party - Bayport
May 5, 2-4:30pm Volunteer training - Warner Nature Center
May 6 Blue Thumb Shoreline Workshop - Vannelli’s by the Lake Forest Lake
6-7:30pm Info at http://tinyurl.com/FL2014Shoreline
May 14 Erosion and Sediment Control Workshop - Cottage Grove
8:00-10:30am Register at www.erosion.umn.edu
May 14 Horse Workshop - Washington County Fairgrounds
May 31 RWMWD WaterFest - Lake Phalen
11am-4pm Info at www.rwmwd.org
June
June 1, 11am-3pm Master Gardener Plant Sale - Washington County Fairgrounds
June 7 Explore Your Parks Day - Lake Elmo Regional Park
11am-2pm Info at www.co.washington.mn.us/index.aspx?NID=492
June 7 Landscape Revival and Native Plant Sale - Roseville
9am-3pm Info at www.saintpaulaudubon.org/events/2014/06/landscape-revival
June 18-20 MAWD Summer Tour - Stillwater
Info at www.mnwatershed.org
June 18 & 19 Grecian Foxglove Workshops - Stillwater Township & Afton
Members of the East Metro Water Resource Education Program:
Brown’s Creek Watershed • Carnelian Marine - St. Croix Watershed
Comfort Lake - Forest Lake Watershed • Cottage Grove • Dellwood
Forest Lake • Lake Elmo • Middle St. Croix Watershed
Ramsey - Washington Metro Watershed • Rice Creek Watershed • Stillwater
South Washington Watershed • Valley Branch Watershed • Willernie • Woodbury
West Lakeland • Washington Conservation District • Washington County
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2013Annual Report
Above: Angie Hong talks about public outreach and engagement during the St. Croix
Workshop on the Water for local elected officials and decision makers.
Members of the East Metro Water Resource Education Program:
Brown’s Creek Watershed • Carnelian-Marine-St. Croix Watershed •
Comfort Lake-Forest Lake Watershed • Cottage Grove •
Dellwood • Forest Lake • Lake Elmo • Middle St. Croix Watershed •
Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed • Rice Creek Watershed • Stillwater •
South Washington Watershed • Valley Branch Watershed • Willernie •
West Lakeland • Woodbury • Washington Conservation District • Washington County
East Metro Water Resource Education Program
2013 Annual Report
TABLE OF CONTENTS
About the Program………………………………………..………………………….3
2013Executive Summary….…………………………….…………………………….…..4
Program Activities and Evaluation
General Education Program………………………………………………….7
Blue Thumb –Planting for Clean Water………………………………………...17
Rural Outreach……………………………………………………………………21
Blue Biz –Helping Local Businesses go Blue………………………………..24
Stormwater U…………………………………………………………………..26
Northland NEMO………………………………………………………….28
MS4 Toolkit…………………………………………………………………..30
Appendix A:Education Program Budget for 2013-2015...…….……………….………31
Appendix B: Map ofEMWREP Education Activities in 2013...…….………………32
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About the East Metro Water Resource Education Program
Background:
The East Metro Water Resource Education Program (EMWREP) is a partnership
that was formed in 2006 to develop and implement a comprehensive water resource education
and outreach program for the east metro area of St. Paul, MN. Current EMWREP partners include
Brown’s Creek, Carnelian-Marine-St Croix, Comfort-Lake Forest Lake, Rice Creek, Ramsey-
Washington Metro, South Washington, and Valley Branch Watershed Districts, Middle St. Croix
Watershed Management Organization, the cities of Cottage Grove, Dellwood,Forest Lake, Lake
Elmo, Stillwater, Willernie, and Woodbury, West Lakeland Township, Washington County and
the Washington Conservation District.
Purpose:
The purpose of the shared education program is to provide education about the impacts
of non-point source pollution on local lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands and groundwater resources
and to engage people in projects that will help to protect and improve water quality in the region.
In addition to educating the public, EMWREP also provides training for city, county and
watershed staff and local elected officials.
Partnership Structure:
EMWREP is guided by a steering committee comprised of
representatives from each of the 18partner organizations. The committee generally meets twice a
year to provide recommendations on the program budget and activities.During 2013, EMWREP
staff included Angie Hong, full-timeeducation specialist and coordinator for the program, Jenn
Radtke, half-time education assistant, and Wendy Griffin, aWashington Conservation District
natural resource specialist who provided 170 hours of support for rural education activities. The
EMWREP coordinatorsendsa quarterly e-newsletter to all partners’ staff, council members and
board members, and communicatesone-on-one with individual partners on projects throughout
the year. The EMWREP education plan is revised every two to three years to accommodate
changing priorities and new target audiences. In addition, the EMWREP coordinatorprepares an
annual report on program activities and provides outreach data and statistics for partners’ MS4
Permit reports. All EMWREP reports, plans, and education updates are available on-line at
www.mnwcd.org/emwrep.
Coordinationwith Other Regional Education Efforts:
One of the major benefitsof the
EMWREP program isthat it hashelped to strengthen relationships between Washington
Conservation District, Washington County and the eight watershed management organizations
and eightcities that constitute the partnership, which has resulted in better coordination and less
overlap in the management of local water resources. By promoting partner’s BMP programs,
EMWREP has helped to increase the total number of water quality improvement projects
implemented and to target these projects in priority areas.
EMWREP has also played a central role in the coordination and development of two
regional education programs, Blue Thumb and WaterShed Partners. Blue Thumbis a partnership
of more than 70 public and private entities in the Upper Midwest, developed to promote the use
of native plantings, raingardens and shoreline plantings to conserve water resources and reduce
runoff pollution. WaterShed Partners, which manages the Clean Water Minnesota media
campaign, is a collaborative of more than 60 non-profit and public entities in theTwin Cities
metro area that work together to educate the public about stormwater pollution. Additionally,
EMWREP frequently partners with other organizations within the St. Croix River Basin for
educational events and activities.
Accolades:
In 2012, the Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts recognized EMWREP as
the Watershed Program of the Year.
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2013Executive Summary
General Education Campaign:
During 2013, EMWREP continued to use a variety of strategies
to educate the general public about stormwater pollution and other issues affecting the quality of
surface and groundwater resources, and to inform them about partner programs and activities.
Major strategies include more than 100articles per year in local newspapers and community
newsletters, ample use of social media, direct mailings to specific audiences, and participation in
nearly 30 community events.
Though the impact of these larger public education and awareness raising efforts is often
hard to measure directly, we know they greatly improve the success of ourtargeted outreach
activities and are usually the initial gateway through which people learn about EMWREP partner
organizations and engage at a higher level by attending a workshop, participating in awatershed
planning process, or installing a clean water project on their property.
In 2013, EMWREP also initiated three new special education projects:
1)We collaborated with Chisago County to hold an Aquatic Invasive Species
workshop in Scandia, attended by 75 people;
2)We created new educational materials and sent mailings to homeowners’
associations and lawn care companies in Forest Lake and Woodbury; and
3)Weheld a focus group with representatives from area churches, which led to the
creation of a new e-newsletter for congregations and plans for additional
education activities in 2014.
Blue Thumb Program:
The Blue Thumb –Planting for Clean Water program
(www.BlueThumb.org) was developed by the Rice Creek Watershed District in 2006 andis now
a dynamic coalition ofmore than 70partner organizations working together to raise awareness
about stormwater pollution and encourage homeowners to plant native gardens, raingardens and
shoreline projects to protect surface and groundwater resources.
EMWREP uses Blue Thumbtools and resources, such as the website and print materials,
to promote partner BMP programsand strengthen targeted outreach for neighborhood stormwater
retrofit projects.In addition to giving presentations about the Blue Thumb program to several
community groups and lake / neighborhood associations, EMWREP also conducted five
workshops during the year:
1)A raingarden workshop in Scandia;
2)A prairie workshop in Afton;
3)A workshop for large lot owners in West Lakeland Twp.;
4)A raingarden maintenance workshop in Lake Elmo; and
5)A shoreline maintenance workshop in Forest Lake.
During 2013, EMWREP provided outreach support for stormwater retrofit projects near
Casey Lake (Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District), Brown’s Creek (Brown’s Creek
Watershed District), and Lily and McKusick Lakes (Middle St. Croix Watershed Management
Organization). Wealso held Ice Cream Social / Raingarden Tours in Stillwater and Woodbury
(South Washington Watershed District) to celebrate the completion of recent neighborhood
stormwater retrofit projects.
The number of raingardens and other residential projects installed in Washington County
continues to climb each year, at least in part, as a result of EMWREP education and outreach
efforts. Conservation District staff conducted 240 site visits during 2013. 62 projects were
installed with watershed cost-share funding, 45 projectswere completed withonly technical
assistance, and an additional 115new projects are still in progress. The WCD estimates that
residential projects installed in 2013 will reduce phosphorus loading to area waters by 37 pounds
per year.
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Rural Outreach:
During 2013, EMWREP offered several programs specifically designed to
engage rural property owners. These included a full-day workshop for horse owners, three water
testing clinicsfor homeowners with private wells, and two buckthorn workshops. In addition,
EMWREP also provided outreach support forseveral targetedimplementation projects,
including:
Washington Conservation District -Turf to Prairie;
Washington Conservation District –Top50P!; and
South Washington Watershed District’s-Trout Brook.
Because previous audience research has shown us that many rural property owners are more
interested increating wildlife habitat or managing invasive species than in protecting surface
water quality, we’ve adapted our messagesand workshops forthese audiences accordingly.
Though we still talk about protecting water resources, we usually use other topics as the hook to
engage rural property owners.
Blue Biz:
The Blue Biz program consists of a website (www.cleanwaterMN.org/businesses) and
outreach materials that partners can use to engage commercial property owners in BMP projects.
During 2013, EMWREP initiated conversations with Tamarack Village Shopping Center in
Woodbury about a potential stormwater reuse project on their property.
Stormwater U:Early after the EMWREP partnership was created, we worked with staff from
Minnesota Extension and the Minnesota Erosion and Stormwater Management Certification
Program to developStormwater U,a technical training series for municipal staff and contractors,
including engineers, planners, inspectors and public works. Past workshops have included
Designing for Volume Control, Protecting Water Resources through Comprehensive Planning,
Stormwater Pond Management, Turf Management, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
and Winter Snow and Ice Management.
In 2013, EMWREP:
Hosted aStormwater U workshop in January in Cottage Grove, What isin your
Stormwater BMP Toolbox?;
Presented atthe Stormwater U Lessons Learnedworkshop in February;
Collaborated with MECA (Minnesota Erosion Control Association) to hold an outdoor
erosion control field seminar in Cottage Grove at the site of a new housing development;
and
Hosted a workshop on Street Sweeping for Nutrient Reduction.
NEMO:
The Northland NEMO program (Non-point Education for Municipal Officials) provides
local elected officials and decision makers with resources and information to make informed
decisions about land use and water quality in their communities. Northland NEMO is hosted by
the University of Minnesota Extension and EMWREP is one of ten to twenty partner
organizations. Program offerings include several basic presentations, as well as the interactive
Watershed Game.
During 2013, EMWREP collaborated with several other partners to hold its fifth
Workshop on the Waterfor St. Croix Basin communities in both Minnesota and Wisconsin. Over
120people attended. In September we held a workshop for Washington County communities to
introduce the Minimal Impacts Design Standards Community Assistance Package developed as
part of a three-year grant project. Representatives from ten cities and the county attended. After
the workshop, we met one-on-one with the communities who attended to discuss how they might
incorporate the new package into their ordinancesand zoning code in the future. An accelerated
implementation grant from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources will allow the
Washington Conservation District to continue working with these communities in 2014.
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MS4 Toolkit:
EMWREP developed the MS4 Toolkit (www.cleanwatermn.org/MS4toolkit)
several years ago with a grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The toolkit
includes educational materials that partners can use to meet the six minimum control measures in
the MS4 permit, such as brochures, posters, slide shows, training videos and more. In addition to
the on-line materials, training videos for parks and public works staff and pop-up banners for
community events are available partners to borrow.The Metro WaterShed Partners MS4 work
group is currently discussing strategies for updating the MS4 Toolkit andwebsite.
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General Education Campaign
Minimum Control Measure Addressed
Public education & outreachConstruction site runoff controls
Public participation & involvementPost-construction storm water
management
Illicit discharge detection and Municipal pollution prevention &
eliminationgood housekeeping
Audience:
General Public
Program Goals:
1.Provide education on water resource issues and stormwater pollution prevention for
people living and working in the east metro area.
2.Collaborate with state andlocal government as well as non-profit and community
groups to carry out educational activities.
3.Utilize master gardeners and other citizen volunteers to help conduct education and
outreach.
4.Promote EMWREP partners and their BMP (Best Management Practices) programs.
5.Engage community members and other stakeholders in TMDL (Total Maximum
Daily Load) and Non-Degradation Plan processes.
Educational Goals:
Learning
1.Increase the overall understanding and awareness of water resources and storm water
runoff among the general public.
2.Increase understanding of the connection between individual actions and water
resource quality among the general public.
3.Increase awareness of storm water best management practices among the general
public.
4.Increase understanding ofthe roles that cities, watershed agencies, counties and
conservation districts play in managing water resources.
Behavior Change
1.Engage the public in the prevention of storm water pollution at home.
2.Increase the utilization of storm water best management practices and adoption of
desirable clean water practices among the general public.
3.Engage the public and other stakeholders in creating and implementing watershed,
TMDL and Non-Degradation plans.
4.Unite government, non-profit and community based organizations with a common
clean water theme.
5.Develop leaders among citizens and other water related organizations that can carry
water resource education to the general public.
Water Quality Improvement
1.Reduce and prevent non-point source pollution of surface and groundwater resources.
2.Maintain adequate groundwater and drinking water resources.
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Activities used to reach goals:
Maintaining and developing educational partnerships:
EMWREP continues to work
collaboratively with governmental, non-profit, private and citizen partners to engage the public,
promote and execute events and activities, and develop and distribute educational materials and
resources. EMWREP works with partners in both the Twin Cities Metro area and the St. Croix
River Basin. Some of these many partners include:
Local units of government: In addition to the 18 partnering entities within EMWREP, we
also work closely with other LGUs outside of Washington County
Non-profits: St. Croix River Association, Friends of the Mississippi River, Family
Means, local nature centers, sportsman groups
Private partners:EMWREP occasionally teams up with corporations such as 3M and
Blue Cross –Blue Shield to provide education for employees and their families
Citizens:Master Gardeners, church members and other community leaders
Community events:
EMWREP participated in dozens of local community events, either by
helping to plan, sending materials, staffing atable or giving a presentation:
Forest Lake Home Show –March 16
St. Croix Basin Conference –April 8 (River Falls)
Mahtomedi Rite of Spring –April 27
Go Green Trail Run –May 4 (Battle Creek Park)
St. Peter UCC Environmental Fair –May 11 (Stillwater)
Explore Your Parks Day –June 1 (Lake Elmo Regional Park)
Waterfest –June 1 (Lake Phalen)
Landscape Revival –June 1 (Roseville)
Master Gardener Plant Sale –June 2 (Lake Elmo)
Belwin Bison Release –June 15 (Afton)
Family Means St. Croix Garden Tour –July 13-14 (Stillwater)
Tamarack Swamp Nature Preserve Tour –July 16(Woodbury)
Our Water, Our Future –July 16 (Century College)
Washington County Fair –July 31 –Aug. 4
Heritage Day –Aug. 6 (Lake St. Croix Beach)
Tri-Lakes Day –Aug. 10 (Lake Elmo)
Above: Kids practiced fishing at
Minnesota State Fair –Aug. 22 –Sept. 2
the Cottage Grove Public Works
Taco Daze -Sept. 7(Scandia)
Open House.
Blue Cross Blue Shield Carefest –Sept. 10
Cottage Grove Public Works Open House –Sept. 19
Washington County Paper Shredding Event -Sept. 20
North St. Paul History Cruz –Sept. 20
Newport Community Buckthorn Pull –Oct. 26
Right: At the Belwin Bison Release,
children learnedabout root depth using
our native plant display.
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Student Programs:
EMWREP participated in the following children’s education events:
Da Vinci Festival, Stillwater ISD -Jan. 5 (2500 K-12 students and parents)
MN Youth Outdoor Expo, Hugo, May 18-19(2500 children and parents)
rdth
OH Anderson Field Day, Mahtomedi –May 10 (100 3-5grade students)
Cottage Grove Safety Camp –July 9(200 children, ages 8-11)
Special Mailings:
EMWREP helped to produce and deliverspecial mailingsfor several partners
during the year. This included:
Mailings to Comfort Lake –Forest Lake and Carnelian-Marine-St. Croix Watersheds to
promote the Aquatic Invasive Species workshop and watershed cost-share programs
(February)
Mailing to the Casey Lake neighborhood (North St. Paul) for a neighborhood raingarden
project (April)
Letter to churches in the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed for a Green Churches
project (April)
Washington Conservation District newsletter (April & November)
Letter to select homes in Brown’s Creek Watershed for a neighborhood raingarden
project (May)
Mailing to Homeowner Associations and lawn care companies in Forest Lake and
Woodbury (July)
Comfort Lake –Forest Lake Watershed District newsletter (September)
Newspaper articles:
EMWREP coordinator Angie Hong writes
regularly for several local papers. Read the articles on-line at
www.eastmetrowater.areavoices.com. In 2013, articles appeared in
the following papers:
Forest Lake Times (
13,029 readers)
Scandia Country Messenger
(1075 readers)
Jan. 8 -MAWD award
Jan. 25 -Wild Ones Native Plant Conference
Feb. 5 -Preventing Groundwater Contamination(Sealing abandoned wells)
Feb. 19 -AIS Workshop
Feb. 23 -Horse workshop
March 11 -Pimp Your Downspout(Rain barrel sale)
April 9 -Scandia Raingarden Workshop
April 16 -Well Water Testing Clinic
Aug. 12 -Incentive grants for lake and river friendly landscaping
Aug. 31 -Going Up North(lakeshore landscaping)
Sept. 5 -Saving Goose Lake
Sept. 11 -Stopping the phosphorus train (Broadway Ave. project)
Oct. 29 -Reducing agricultural water pollution
South Washington County Bulletin
(8616 readers in Cottage Grove, St. Paul Park, Newport and Grey Cloud)
Jan. 8 -MAWD award
Jan. 15 -Reducing mercury
Jan. 25 -Wild Ones Native Plant Conference
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Feb. 5 -Preventing Groundwater Contamination(Sealing abandoned wells)
Feb. 23 -Horse workshop
Feb. 27 -Keeping pharmaceuticals out of our water
March 11 -Pimp Your Downspout(Rain barrel sale)
April 16 -Well Water Testing Clinic
April 30 -Both the forest and the trees
May 13 -Mississippi Water Walk
May 21 -Dandelion Wars
June 4 -Give me a home where the buffalo roam(prairie workshop)
June 20 -More big rainstorms
July 15 -What to ask for from your lawn care provider
Aug. 20 -Buckthorn workshop
Aug. 28 -Salt water on the menu
Oct. 2-For the love of fall
Oct. 9 -Mississippi River Sojourn
Oct. 24 -Where have all the bees gone?
Oct. 29 -Reducing agricultural water pollution
Nov. 1 -Whistling Well Farm
Nov. 7 -Calling Tim the Tool Man
Hugo Citizen
(10,000 readers)
Jan. 8 -MAWD award
Jan. 25 -Wild Ones Native Plant Conference
Feb. 5 -Preventing Groundwater Contamination(Sealing abandoned wells)
Feb. 23 -Horse workshop
March 11 -Pimp Your Downspout(Rain barrel sale)
April 16 -Well Water Testing Clinic
May 21 -Dandelion Wars
July 15 -What to ask for from your lawn care provider
Oakdale-Lake Elmo & Maplewood –North St. Paul Reviews
(34,392 readers in Oakdale, Lake Elmo, North St. Paul, Maplewood, White Bear Lake, White
Bear Township, Gem Lake, Western Mahtomedi, and Landfall. Articles are occasionally printed
in Lillie owned papers outside the EMWREP area as well, reaching an additional 83,608 readers.)
Jan. 8 -MAWD award
Jan. 25 -Wild Ones Native Plant Conference
Feb. 5 -Preventing Groundwater Contamination(Sealing abandoned wells)
Feb. 27 -Keeping pharmaceuticals out of our water
March 11 -Pimp Your Downspout(Rain barrel sale)
April 9 -Let’s chat about scat
May 13 -Mississippi Water Walk
May 21 -Dandelion Wars
May 21 -VBWD meetings
June 4 -Give me a home where the buffalo roam(prairie workshop)
June 20 -More big rainstorms
July 15 -What to ask for from your lawn care provider
Aug. 20 -Buckthorn workshop
Oct. 9 -Mississippi River sojourn
Oct. 16 -Reducing agricultural water pollution
Oct. 24 -Where have all the bees gone?
Dec. 2 -Regaining a Sense of Wonder
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Woodbury Bulletin
(7811 readers)
Jan. 8 -MAWD award
July 8 -Tamarack Tour
Sept. 10 -Woodbury raingarden tour and ice cream social
Stillwater Gazette
(6,966 readers)
Jan. 8 -MAWD award
Feb. 19 -AIS Workshop
Aug. 20 -Buckthorn workshop
March 11 -Pimp Your Downspout(Rain barrel sale)
May 21 -VBWD meetings
Valley Life
(48,000 readers in Stillwater, Bayport, Oak Park Heights, Stillwater Township,
Afton, Lakeland, Marine, Hugo, Lake Elmo, Houlton, Somerset and New Richmond)
Oakdale Patch
(974 Facebook / 816 Twitter)
Stillwater Patch
(2893 Facebook / 1325 Twitter)
Woodbury Patch
(2898 Facebook / 1773 Twitter)
Jan. 2 -Having kids can be hazardous to your health
Jan. 7 -Don’t be a drip(water conservation)
Jan. 15 -Reducing mercury
Jan. 22 -Reading the landscape(Wild Ones Native Plant Conference)
Jan. 28 -Things they don’t tell you when you buy ahorse(Horse Workshop)
Feb. 5 -Preventing Groundwater Contamination(Sealing abandoned wells)
Feb. 13 -California dreaming on a winter day
Feb. 19 -Aliens invade the St. Croix Valley
Feb. 27 -Keeping pharmaceuticals out of our water
Feb. 28 -Community Thread mixes raingardens and volunteerism
March 8 -Thegarbage boat sails away
March 10 -Crazy carp tournament
April 1 -How to carry a baby across a river
April 9 -Let’s chat about scat
April 15 -Well water testing clinics
April 19 -Gardening in the snow
April 29 -Journey on two wheels
April 30 -Both the forest and the trees
May 13 -Mississippi Water Walk
May 21 -Dandelion Wars
May 29 -VBWD Local lakes study
June 4 -Give me a home where the buffalo roam
June 10 -Big Backyards
June 20 -More big rainstorms
June 28 -Behind the scenes gardens
July 8 -Tamarack Tour
July 15 -What to ask for from your lawn care provider
July 22 -Protecting the St. Croix
July 31 -Going up north
Aug. 5 -Ice cream and raingardens
Aug. 14 -Rush River rambles
Aug. 21 -Digging for treasure
Aug. 28 -Salt water on the menu
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Sept. 3 -The great (never-ending) Minnesota get-together
Sept. 5 -Saving Goose Lake
Sept. 11 -One year later at Oak Glen
Oct. 2 -For the love of fall
Oct. 9 -Mississippi River sojourn
Oct. 16 -Reducing agricultural water pollution
Oct. 24 -Where have all the bees gone?
Nov. 1 -Whistling Well Farm
Nov. 7 -Calling Tim the Tool Man
Nov. 20 -Holey Pavement
Nov. 21 -Stopping the Zebra
Dec. 2 -Regaining a Sense of Wonder
Dec. 10 -Winter Fish Tale
Dec. 17 –Swamp Stories
Dec. 24 –As the water drop rolls
*Press releases were also sent to the Pioneer Press and Star Tribune throughout the year.
City newsletter articles:
Information about water resources and EMWREP partner activities
reached more than 175,000 people through community newsletters in 2013. Below are some of
the topics covered in these newsletters:
Afton (pop. 2800) –newsletter
Jan –WCD tree and rain barrel sale
o
June –VBWD meetings for lakes and Kelle’s Creek; impacts of triclosan
o
September –Turf to Prairie grant
o
October –fall leaves impact water quality
o
December –impacts of road salt
o
Bayport (pop. 3200) –newsletter
April –raingarden clean-up event
o
September -fall leaves impact water quality; raingarden at City Hall
o
Baytown Twp. (pop.1723) –nonewsletter
Birchwood (pop. 875) -newsletter
Winter –road salt
o
Spring –road salt, Blue Thumb
o
Cottage Grove (pop. 34,000) -newsletter
June –lawn care tips
o
Dellwood (pop. 1063) –annual Mayor’s Letter, not posted on-line
Denmark Twp. (pop. 1737)–no newsletter
Forest Lake(pop. 18,957) -newsletter
Summer –prairie and “Big Backyard” workshops
o
Fall –leaves and water quality, RCWD cost-share program
o
Winter –road salt; WCD tree sale
o
Grant(pop. 4026) –twice yearly, not posted on-line
Hugo(pop. 14,000) -newsletter
Fall –water conservation
o
Lake Elmo (pop. 7647) -newsletter
Spring –septic system care; spring cleaning to keep waterways clean
o
12
Fall –leaves impact water quality
o
Lake St. Croix Beach (pop. 1051) -newsletter
Jan –septic systems, road salt
o
March –groundwater, road salt
o
April –“Good bug, bad bug”, raingarden myths, lawn care
o
July -Algae blooms,“Good bug, bad bug”
o
October –septic systems
o
November –septic systems
o
Lakeland (pop. 1830) -newsletter
Jan –WCD tree and rain barrel sale
o
Feb. -WCD tree and rain barrel sale
o
June –prairie workshop at Belwin
o
Aug. –lawn clippings
o
Lakeland Shores (pop. 355) –newsletter
Spring –MSCWMO
o
Winter–Low impact development –MIDS community assistance project
o
Mahtomedi (pop. 8000) -newsletter
April –June: water conservation
o
Maplewood(pop. 39,337) –only current month’s newsletter posted on-line
Marine on St. Croix(pop. 700) –no 2013 newsletters posted on-line
May Twp.(pop. 761) –twice annually, not posted on-line
Newport (pop. 3435) -newsletter
Fall –community buckthorn pull
o
Winter –community buckthorn pull
o
North St. Paul(pop. 11,694)–utility newsletter
October –leaves and water quality
o
Oakdale (pop. 27,726) –only current newsletter posted on-line
Oak Parks Heights (pop. 4724) -newsletter
Fourth quarter –leaves and water quality
o
Pine Springs(pop. 408) –no newsletter or website
Scandia(pop. 3934) -newsletter
Fall –leaves impact water quality
o
Stillwater (pop. 18,000) -newsletter
2013–Raingarden tour and ice cream social
o
Stillwater Twp. (pop. 3000) -newsletter
February –WCD tree and rain barrel sale
o
St. Mary’s Point(pop. 370) –no newsletter
West Lakeland (pop. 3547) -newsletter
May –“Big Backyard” workshop
o
June –special mailer for “Big Backyard” workshop
o
Fall -buckthorn
o
Willernie(pop. 511) –Mayor’s letter sent occasionally, none in 2013
13
Woodbury (pop. 57,345) -newsletter
June –lawn watering and rain sensors
o
July –grass clippings
o
Sept. –Colby Lake raingarden tour and ice cream social
o
November –special clean water insert
o
Cable Access Programming
: In February of 2013, EMWREP worked with White Bear Lake
Suburban Cable Commission to film a 30-min segment about Blue Thumb –Planting for Clean
Water. Watch it on-line at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Mc1r16Yoxg.
Websites and Social Media:
EMWREP uses several websites to provide information
and resources for the public and also uses social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and
the East Metro Water blog to reach people in the community:
Washington Conservation District:
In 2013, the WCD website (www.mnwcd.org) received
9,627 visits from 6,007visitors. The WCD has 150Facebook friends and EMWREP has 75
Twitter followers.
Blue Thumb –Planting for Clean Water:
The website (www.BlueThumb.org) received
23,548 visits from 18,710 visitors. Blue Thumb has 835 Facebook friends and 212 Twitter
followers.
WaterShed Partners
: The Clean Water Minnesota website (www.cleanwatermn.org)
received 2,799 visits from 2,380 visitors. StormDrain Goalie, a new social media initiative of
WaterShed Partners has 522 Facebook friends.
East Metro Water Blog:
The blog (www.eastmetrowater.areavoices.com) had 7,358 visits in
2013.
In 2013, we found that social media often helped us to amplify our media outreach and gain
additional exposure. For example, the Star Tribune wrote a feature article about the neighborhood
raingarden retrofit project in Colby Lake, Woodbury, after learning about the project via Twitter.
WaterShed Partners:
EMWREP is one of 65 partners in the WaterShed
Partners, an innovative, dynamic coalition of public, private and non-
profit organizations in the Twin Cities metro area that work
collaboratively to teach residents how to care for area waters. WaterShed
Partners coordinates the Clean Water Minnesota Media Campaign,
maintains the www.cleanwatermn.orgwebsite, the MS4 Toolkit, and the
StormDrain Goalie program, and has prominent exhibit space in the Eco
Experience and DNR Buildings at the Minnesota State Fair.
In April, WaterShedPartners hosted a social media training for Minnesota water
educators with Jamie Millard, a social media consultant that specializes in working with non-
th
profit and government organizations. In June, WaterShed Partners coordinated their 7Annual
Boat Trip on the Mississippi River. Presenters talked about the State of the Mississippi River
Report, progress on Asian Carp prevention, and the new Atlas 14 guidelines developed to
reflecting changing rainfall patterns in Minnesota. In November, WaterShed Partners held a
roundtable discussion to address the question of how water educators can best evaluate the impact
of their work.
The 2013 WaterShed Partners and Media Campaign annual report can be found at
www.cleanwatermn.org.
14
Special Projects
Aquatic Invasive Species Workshop:EMWREP partners
CLFLWD and CMSCWD collaborated with Chisago County
to host a workshop about aquatic invasive species on March 9
at the Scandia Community Center. More than 70 people
attended to learn about identifying, managing, and preventing
the spread of invasive species such as curly leaf pondweed,
zebra mussels and carp.
Outreach to Homeowners Associations and Lawn Care
Companies:In 2013, EMWREP began developing education
Above: Over 70 people
and outreach materials specifically for homeowners
attended a workshop on aquatic
associations (HOAs) and people who hire lawn care
invasives in March.
companies to maintain their yards. New materials included a
one page fact sheet What to ask for from your lawn care provider, as well as a new webpage on
the Washington Conservation District website. A special mailing was also sent to HOAs and lawn
care providers in Forest Lake and Woodbury during the summer.
The Washington Conservation District recently received a Clean Water grant from the
Board of Water and Soil Resources, which will allow EMWREP to spend additional time
conducting interviews and focus groups to learn how to better connect with these “hard-to-reach”
audiences. During 2013, EMWREP also developed door hangers, which will be distributed to the
Colby Lake neighborhood in Woodbury in 2014.
Pond Dipping at Cottage Grove Ravine Park:On September 26, EMWREP collaborated with
Friends of the Mississippi River to hold an outdoor event at Cottage Grove Ravine Park.
Approximately 30 people turned out to dip for aquatic invertebrates in the lake, hike around the
shoreline wetlands with FMR ecologist Karen Schik and learn about water quality and habitat
health in the park.
Valley Branch Watershed District Public Meetings:During
2013, EMWREP provided support for partner Valley Branch
Watershed District as they organized a series of public meetings
around WRAPS (watershed restoration and protection strategy)
underway in the watershed and to update the District’s 10-yr
plan. Public meetings were held for Kelle’s Creek and lakes
WRAPS on June 4 and 6. The Plan Update meeting was held on
Oct. 30.
Above: Valley Branch
Lake Association Meetings:EMWREP attended lake association
watershed residents talked in
meetings for Bone Lake (Scandia) and Silver Lake (North St.
small groups during a plan
Paul) to talk about watershed district programs and discuss
update meeting.
opportunities for involvement.
Church Focus Groups:In October, EMWREP held a focus group session with representatives
from congregations in Washington County and RWMWD that have completed or are going to
complete clean water projects at their churches. Participants included pastors, facilities managers
and congregation members. Attendees expressed an interest in a monthly clean water e-
newsletter, online resources, a maintenance workshop for grounds-keeping staff,and a Church
Raingarden Tour.
15
Evaluation:
Though the impact of public education and awareness raising efforts is often hard to
measure directly, we know they greatly improve the success of our targeted outreach activities
and are usually the initial gateway through which people learn about EMWREP partner
organizations and engage at a higher level by attending a workshop, participating in a watershed
planning process, or installing a clean water project on their property.
During 2013, EMWREP did not conduct surveys or otherbehavioral research to measure
learning or behavior change. However, conversations with attendees at public events seem to
indicate that people are more aware of surface and groundwater issues in their communities and
practices such as raingardens than they were eight years ago. Metro WaterShed Partners are
currently discussing tools for evaluation and EMWREP looks forward to using these tools once
they are developed.
Knowledge gained during our church focus group will help us to develop appropriate
educational toolsand resources for this audience and to maximize the public education value of
clean water projects installed by area congregations.
16
Blue Thumb
Planting for Clean Water
Minimum Control Measure Addressed
Public education & outreachConstruction site runoff controls
Public participation & involvementPost-construction storm water
management
Illicit discharge detection and Municipal pollution prevention &
eliminationgood housekeeping
Audience:
Homeowners
Program Goals:
1.Promote native gardens, raingardensand shoreline plantings in targeted areas within
EMWREP partner communities.
2.Coordinate Blue Thumb outreach with partner BMP programs and TMDL
implementation.
3.Coordinate with landscapers, nurseries, Master Gardeners, and others to conduct
outreach and implement projects.
4.Publicize and utilize demonstration gardens created by the program to increase
educational benefit. Create signage, conduct tours and highlight demonstration
projects.
Educational Goals:
Learning
1.Provide a visible “hook” to discuss and encourage people to think about stormwater
and water resources.
2.Increase understanding of native plants, raingardens and shoreline stabilization as
best management practices for clean water.
Behavior Change
1.Engage the public in preventing non-point source water pollution.
2.Increase the utilization of native plantings, raingardens and shoreline stabilization by
local residents.
Water-quality Improvement
1.Reduce and prevent non-point source pollution of surface and groundwater resources.
2.Maintain adequate groundwater and drinking water resources.
Activities used to reach goals:
Regional collaboration:
The Blue Thumb partnership includes more than 70
public and private entities -nurseries, landscaping companies, watershed
agencies, cities, non-profits and citizen groups. The collaborative nature of the
program ensures a consistent message for the public and maximizes the
outreach efforts of all program partners. EMWREP continues to play a lead role in the partnership
by serving on the regional steering committee.
17
EMWREP uses Blue Thumb tools and resources, such as the website and print materials, to
promote partner BMP programs. These tools also help us to strengthen outreach for targeted
stormwater retrofit projects. In 2013, EMWREP also helped to coordinate and teach a full-day
professional training for Blue Thumb partners on how to plan, promote and conduct educational
workshops.
Workshops:
EMWREP holdscommunity workshops to promote native gardens, raingardens and
shoreline plantings. These workshops areopen to interested community members and are
promoted through flyers, press releases and community newsletters. In 2013, EMWREP
conducted five workshops:
Raingarden workshop in Scandia, hosted in partnership with Prairie Restorations, Inc.
28 homes (individuals or couples) attended;
o
Participants came from BCWD,
o
CLFLWD, CMSCWD, MSCWMO,
RCWD, RWMWD, SWWD and
VBWD.
Prairie workshop in Afton, hosted in
partnership with Belwin Conservancy
10 homes attended;
o
Participants came from BCWD,
o
CMSCWD, MSCWMO and VBWD.
A workshop for large lot owners in West
Lakeland Twp., organized in partnership with
Master Gardeners
Above: Local landowners learn about
40-50 people attended
o
the prairie at Belwin Conservancy.
Raingarden maintenance workshop in Lake
Elmo
The workshop was for
o
homeowners who had
raingardens installed on their
properties during city road
projects in 2009-12;
5 homes attended.
o
Shoreline maintenance workshop in
Forest Lake
The workshop was for
o
shoreline landowners in
CLFLWD and CMSCWD
Above: Recent BMP project participants learn
who completed restoration
how to maintain their shoreline plantings.
projects on their properties;
11 homes attended.
o
Neighborhood Parties:
Three of the workshops listed above were hosted by homeowners.
Presentations:
In addition to workshops, EMWREP gave presentations to the following groups
in 2013:
Trillium Garden Club –Stillwater (Feb. 13)
Tii Gavo Homeowners Association–Scandia (March 6)
Goose Lake residents –Scandia (April 17)
Bone Lake association –Scandia (May 30)
18
Targeted homeowner outreach:
During 2013, EMWREP provided outreach support for the
following partner projects:
Casey Lake neighborhood stormwater retrofits (Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed
District)
Neal Ave. neighborhood stormwater retrofits (Brown’s Creek Watershed District)
Lily and McKusick Lake neighborhood stormwater retrofits (Middle St. Croix Watershed
Management Organization)
We also organized tours of recently completed neighborhood stormwater retrofits near Colby
Lake (South Washington Watershed District) and Lily and McKusick Lakes (Middle St. Croix
WMO) to celebrateand showcase these projects. Approximately 200 people attended each of
these events.
Above: Recent BMP project participants learn
Above: Recent BMP project participants learn
how to maintain their shoreline plantings.
how to maintain their shoreline plantings.
Above: A collage of photos from gardens featured on the Stillwater raingarden tour.
Integration with partner BMP programs
:EMWREP continues to integrate Blue Thumb
education and outreach with partner BMP programs.
Promotional materials:
EMWREP has createda suite of print materials and brochures to
promoteBlue Thumbpractices. We also have interactive displays, digital photo frames, posters
and banners that we use ourselves and loan out to other for use at community education events.
19
Evaluation:
The number of raingardens and other residential projects installed in Washington
County continues to climb each year, at least in part, as a result of EMWREP education and
outreach efforts. Conservation District staff conducted 240 site visits during 2013. 62 projects
were installed with watershed cost-share funding, 45 projects were completed with only technical
assistance, and an additional 115 new projects are still in progress. The WCD estimates that
residential projects installed in 2013 will reduce phosphorus loading to area waters by 37 pounds
per year.
20
Rural Outreach
Minimum Control Measure Addressed
Public education & outreachConstruction site runoff controls
Public participation & involvementPost-construction storm water
management
Illicit discharge detection and Municipal pollution prevention &
eliminationgood housekeeping
Audience:
Rural landowners, Birding Enthusiasts, Sportsmen
Audience:
Rural landowners
Program Goals:
1.Find creative ways to engage rural landownersin projects that improve habitat and
also reduce erosion and non-point source water pollution.
2.Promote projectson sensitive and highly erodable lands, such as steep slopes, ravines
and bluff tops; encourage buffer plantings on streams, lakes and wetlands; and help
people to restore wetlands and natural stream corridors.
3.Coordinate outreach with partner BMP programs and TMDL implementation.
Educational Goals:
Learning
1.Increase awareness about watersheds and water resource issues in the East Metro, as
well as the causes of non-point source water pollution.
2.Increase awareness of and knowledge about wildlife habitat requirements.
3.Increase public knowledge about forest, prairie and wetlands systems, including;
a.The roles that plants, animals and non-living components such as soil and
water play in ecosystems; and
b.The threats posed by invasive species, habitat fragmentation and degradation
and loss of natural processes.
4.Educate local residents about how to improve existing and create habitat on their
property to attract wildlife and reduce runoff pollution.
Behavior Change
1.Engage private property owners in projects that will improve habitat and reduce non-
point source water pollution. Specific actions may include:
a)Removing buckthorn and other invasive plant species, especially on
steep slopes, ravines and bluff tops, and in floodplains and drainage
paths.
b)Planting native trees, shrubs and plants, especially on steep slopes,
ravines and bluff tops, and in floodplains and drainage paths.
c)Repairing ravines, gullies and other erosion areas with native plants
that also provide habitat.
d)Establishing buffer plantings on streams, lakes and wetlands.
e)Restoring wetlands and natural stream corridors.
Water-quality Improvement
1.Reduce and prevent non-point source pollution of surface and groundwater resources.
2.
Maintain adequate groundwater and drinkingwater resources.
21
Activities used to reach goals:
Collaboration with local non-profits and sportsmen groups:
EMWREP continues to seek out
opportunities for collaboration with local non-profits and sportsmen groups in order to better
reach rural landowners. In 2013, we hosted an activity station at the Minnesota Outdoor Youth
Expo, held at Wild Wings hunt Club in Hugo, and also attended the Hugo Feed Mill open house.
Horse owner’s workshop
: EMWREP collaborated with Minnesota Extension and Hagberg’s
Country Feed, LLC to put on a full-day workshop for people who own and board horses in
Washington County. Washington County has the most horses of any county in Minnesota and,
though we know that there are many opportunities for conservation projects, horse owners and
boarders generally do not qualify for agricultural assistance programs because they are not
considered producers. Workshop topics included:
Pasture management;
Reducing runoffand BMP programs;
Composting manure;
Pharmaceuticals in groundwater;
Phosphorus in horse feed; and
Hoof care.
Roughly 25 people attended, including folks fromBaytown,
Grant, Marine, May Twp., Stillwater Twp., WestLakeland
and Woodbury.
Above: Horse owners learned
about pasture management from
Nitrates Water Testing Clinics
: During the spring,
Minnesota Extension expert
EMWREP worked with Washington County and the
Kirshona Martinson.
Minnesota Department of Health to hold three water testing
clinics for rural landowners with private wells:
Denmark Twp. –May 6
Scandia –May 8
Cottage Grove –June 24
In addition to conducting on-site analysisof well water samples to determine nitrate levels,
EMWREP also used the clinics as an opportunity to distribute information about conservation
programs and practices.
Buckthorn Workshops:
On Sept. 11 and 12, EMWREP held buckthorn workshops in Denmark
Twp. and Lake Elmo. During the workshops, landowners learned about best practices for
removing and managing buckthorn and also took home information about other conservation
programs and practices. Several attendees signed up for site visits after the workshop. In addition,
EMWREP participated in Newport’s annual community buckthorn event at Bailey School Forest
on Oct. 26.
Support for targeted implementation projects:
During 2013, EMWREP provided outreach
assistance for several targeted implementation projects, including:
Washington Conservation District –Turf to Native project: EMWREP created a mailing
that was sent to 250 priority landowners with an acre or more of turf in areas draining to
the St. Croix River. We also promoted the project through a variety of other means,
including contacting previous workshop participants, creating flyers and writing articles
for local papers and city newsletters.
22
Washington Conservation District –Top50P!:EMWREP created case study fact sheets to
highlight five clean water projects completed with rural landowners near the St. Croix
River.
South Washington Watershed District –Trout Brook:EMWREP helped to recruit
landowners within the Trout Brook subwatershed to install run-off and phosphorus
reduction projects on their land.
Integration with partner BMP programs
:We strive to integrate our outreach and education
efforts with partner BMP programs by encouraging landowners to schedule free site visits with
Conservation District staff and apply for cost-share funding through their local watershed
organization for habitat and clean water projects on their land.
Promotional materials:
EMWREP distributes educational materials dealing with a variety of
topics, including yard care, shoreline plantings, native plantings, well water and invasive species
management.
Evaluation:
During 2013, EMWREP did not conduct any audience research with rural
landowners. Previous focus groups and surveys have indicated that rural landowners in our area
are interested in creating and improving wildlife habitat on their land and managing invasive
species, so we have modified our outreach to highlight the connections between habitat and clean
water.
23
Blue Biz
Helping local businesses go blue
Minimum Control Measure Addressed
Public education & outreachConstruction site runoff controls
Public participation & involvementPost-construction storm water
management
Illicit discharge detection and Municipal pollution prevention &
eliminationgood housekeeping
Audience:
Commercial property owners, business owners, property managers and commercial
developers
Program Goals:
1.Promote stormwater BMP’s for businesses in targeted areas within EMWREP partner
communities.
2.Encourage use of LID techniques for new commercial development.
3.Coordinate commercial outreach with partner BMP programs and TMDL
implementation.
4.Publicize and utilize demonstration projects created by the program to increase
educational benefit. Create signage, conduct tours and highlight demonstration
projects.
Educational Goals:
Learning
1.Help business owners, property managers and commercial developers to understand
that impervious surfaces on commercial properties contribute significantly to
stormwater pollution in local water bodies.
2.Increase understanding of best management practices and low impact development
techniques.
Behavior Change
1.Engage commercial entities in preventing non-point source water pollution.
2.Involve local businesses as active partners in watershed and TMDL plan
implementation.
3.Increase the utilization of BMP’s and LID by local businesses.
Water-quality Improvement
1.Reduce and prevent non-point source pollution of surface and groundwater resources.
2.Maintain adequate groundwater and drinking water resources.
Activities used to reach goals:
Website:
EMWREP has a website (www.cleanwatermn.org/businesses) where commercial
entities can go to find information about Low Impact Development and BMP’s, as well as case
studies and links to resources for cost-share and technical assistance.
24
Print materials:
EMWREP has a one-page fact sheet that summarizes information available on
the website and several one-pg fact sheets aboutlocal commercial BMP projects. We provide
these print materials to business owners when meeting one-on-one to discussconservation
projects.
Targeted outreach:
In 2013, EMWREP and Conservation District staff met with representative
from Tamarack Village Shopping Center in Woodbury. The Wilmes Lake subwatershed analysis
identified the shopping center as a key location for reducing phosphorus loading, and we
discussed a potential project that would use recycled water from stormwater ponds on the
property to irrigate the grounds. Though the property managers were very interested in pursuing
the project, the initial conceptproved to be too expensive to implement, so they are currently
exploring alternative designs.
Coordination:
EMWREP willcontinue to coordinate outreach efforts with partner BMP
programs.
Evaluation:
EMWREP did not conduct any audience research or evaluation with business
owners in 2013.
25
Stormwater U
Minimum Control Measure Addressed
Public education & outreachConstruction site runoff controls
Public participation & involvementPost-construction storm water
management
Illicit discharge detection and Municipal pollution prevention &
eliminationgood housekeeping
Audience:
Municipal staff, consultants, and contractors
Program Goals:
1.Provide technical training for municipal staff, consultants and contractors to help them
meet MS4 Permit requirements and reduce stormwater pollution.
2.Work with local communities and EMWREP partners to identify training needs and
topics.
3.Develop high-quality trainings that can be carried to communities outside the EMWREP
region by the University of Minnesota Extension and other partners.
4.Encourage EMWREP partners and local MS4 communities to send at least one staff
person or contractor to each Stormwater U workshop.
Educational Goals:
Learning
1.Increase understanding of non-point source water pollution and water resource
connections among municipal staff, consultants and contractors.
2.Increase this audience’s understanding of their role in achieving and maintaining
clean surface and groundwater resources.
Behavior Change
1.Through training, enable EMWREP partners and local communities to reduce
stormwater pollution through illicit discharge detection and elimination, construction
site runoff controls, post-construction stormwater management and municipal
pollution prevention.
Water-quality Improvement
1.Reduce and prevent non-point source pollution of surface and groundwater resources.
2.Maintain adequate groundwater and drinking water resources.
Activities used to reach goals:
Coordination with University of Minnesota Extension Programs:
During the fall of 2012,
EMWREP coordinated with Minnesota Extension’s Stormwater U program to plan a four-part
workshop series on Stormwater BMPs (best management practices). The first two workshops in
the series were held in December 2012 and January 2013. However, due to scheduling delays, we
had to cancel the third and fourth workshops. EMWREP also participated in the Stormwater U
“Lessons Learned” workshop, in which Angie Hong gave a presentation about outreach for
neighborhood stormwater retrofits in BCWD, MSCWMO and SWWD, and hosted a street
sweeping workshop in the fall.
26
Hosting workshops:
EMWREP hosted three
workshops in 2013:
Stormwater U –What is in your BMP
Toolbox?,organized in partnership with
Minnesota Extension
Held at Cottage Grove City Hall;
o
22staff and consultantsfrom metro
o
area communities attended.
Erosion control field seminar, organized in
partnership with Minnesota Erosion Control
Association (MECA)
Located on-site at a residential
o
development in Cottage Grove;
Above: More than 50 city staff and
52people attended, including staff
o
contractors attended an erosion control field
from ForestLake, Newport, St. Paul
seminar at a new development in Cottage
Park, Woodbury, CLFLWD, and
Grove.
Washington County.
Street Sweeping for Nutrient Reduction, organized in partnership with Minnesota
Extension
Held at the Washington Conservation Center in Oakdale;
o
40people attended.
o
Developing new workshops:
EMWREP continues to work with local communities and
EMWREP partners to inventory and evaluate current professional trainings available and to
develop new trainings asneeded.
Presentations:
In addition to the workshops listed above, Angie Hong gave two presentations at
the International Low Impact Development Symposium, held in St. Paul in August. At the
symposium she talked about Blue Thumb –Planting for Clean Water and the EMWREP
partnership.
Evaluation:
Workshop evaluations indicated that the majority of participantsat all three of our
workshopswere satisfied or very satisfied with the content andinformation that they learned.
Many also indicated that they will change their practices as a result of what they learned in the
workshops. Participants expressed a desire to learn more about the following topics:
Maintenance
BMPs, including: Pervious pavement, Tree trenches, Underground infiltration, Iron-
enhanced sand filters
Stormwater reuse for irrigation
Advanced street sweeping topics: tree canopy assessments, management of sweeping
waste, zone prioritization, water quality impacts from street runoff, and types of
sweepers.
27
Northland NEMO
Minimum Control Measure Addressed
Public education & outreachConstruction site runoff controls
Public participation & involvementPost-construction storm water
management
Illicit discharge detection and Municipal pollution prevention &
eliminationgood housekeeping
Audience:
Local elected officials and decision makers
Program Goals:
1.Work with NEMO partners to develop outreach programs for local communities that
cover a range of topics related to water resources management.
2.Use NEMO programs to provide local decision makers such as city councils, planning
commissions, watershed boards and county commissioners with the information they
need to make land use decisions and protect water resources.
Educational Goals:
Learning
1.Increase understanding of water resources and storm water management among
elected officials and decision makers.
2.Increase understanding among elected officials and decision makers of the
connection between land use and water quality.
Behavior Change
1.Increase the implementation of city ordinances, zoning and planning practices that
enable low impact development and stormwater best management practices.
Water-quality Improvement
1.Prevent non-point source water pollution from new development and redevelopment.
2.Maintain adequate groundwater and drinking water resources.
Activities used to reach goals:
Regional workshops:
On July 17, EMWREP worked
with several other partners, including theMinnesota
Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency, University of Minnesota Extension, the
St. Croix River Association and others to hold a workshop
on the St. Croix River for local decision makers from
Minnesota and Wisconsin. The workshop was the fourth
“on-the-water” workshop we have held and was attended
by more than 120 people, including representatives from:
Afton, Bayport, Baytown Twp., Denmark Twp.,
Lakeland, Lake St. Croix Beach, Marine on St.
Above: Participants on the St. Croix
Croix, Scandia, Stillwater, and Stillwater Twp.;
River “on-the-water” workshop
BCWD, CLFLWD,CMSCWD, MSCWMO,
discussed clean water projects in
SWWD, and VBWD; and
small groups.
28
Washington County Board of Commissioners and Washington County Board of
Adjustment and Appeals.
During the workshop, we showcased stories of success from agricultural, urban and riparian
areas, talked about methods for connecting the river, land and people, and spent time in small
groups creating action plans for local water resource projects.
Community Workshops:
During 2013, EMWREP also
gave presentations to the Afton Planning Commission
and the Stillwater Township Board. The Afton
presentation focused on the Lake St. Croix TMDL and
the Stillwater Twp. presentation was about the MIDS
Community Assistance project.
St. Croix Basin Minimal Impact Design Standards
(MIDS) grant project:
EMWREP continued to provide
support for the MIDS St. Croix Community Assistance
project in 2013. On Sept. 18, we held a workshop for
Above: Local decision makers from local communities to learn more about MIDS and the
Washington County and local
community assistance package. Twenty-three
communities learned about the MIDS
community representatives attended, including people
community assistance package.
from:
AftonScandia
BayportSt. Mary’s Point
Baytown Twp.Stillwater Twp.
Lake St. Croix BeachWest Lakeland; and
LakelandWashington County
Lakeland Shores
After the workshop, EMWREP helped to conduct follow-up one-on-one discussions with
interested communities.
Evaluation:
Consistently high levels of participation from local communities indicate that our
educational offerings are filling a need for local decision makers. Evaluations from the workshop
on the water showed that participants highly valued the program and being on the river itself
greatly enhanced their learning experience. Seventy-five percent of the participants indicated that
they gained new knowledge in the following areas:
Ordinances;
Aquatic invasive species;
Raingardens;
Wisconsin Farmer Led Council;
Wastewater solutions;
Phosphorus clean water goals;and
Resources available for assistance to local communities.
Participants most often said they would like to pursue reviewing and revising ordinances, will
share the information with others, and will increase overall education.We are hopeful that with
additional funding from a new Clean Water Accelerated Implementation Grant, several
communities in Washington County will adopt components of the MIDS Community Assistance
package which will ultimately lead to improved protections for water resources.
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MS4 Toolkit
Minimum Control Measure Addressed
Public education & outreachConstruction site runoff controls
Public participation & involvementPost-construction storm water
management
Illicit discharge detection and Municipal pollution prevention &
eliminationgood housekeeping
Audience:
General public, municipal staff and contractors, local elected officials, and other target
audiences
Program Goals:
1.Provide simple and effective materials to MS4 staff to use when educating target
audiences.
2.Help EMWREP partners to meet MS4 permit requirements.
Educational Goals:
Learning
1.Increase understanding of non-point source water pollution and stormwater best
management practices among the target audiences.
Behavior Change
1.Engage municipalities and MS4 staff as active partners toward reducing non-point
source water pollution from stormwater runoff and illicit discharges.
2.Increase the utilization of stormwater best management practices among the target
audiences.
3.Increase the detection and elimination of illicit discharges to storm water systems.
4.Increase the utilization of best management practices in street sweeping, salt
application, landscaping and other municipal operations.
Water-quality Improvement
1.Reduce and prevent non-point source pollution of surface and groundwater resources.
2.Maintain adequate groundwater and drinking water resources.
Activities used to reach goals:
The Metro WaterShed Partners MS4 work group is currently
discussing strategies for updating the MS4 Toolkit and website.EMWREP has participated in
these conversationsand will provide assistance as needed to move this process forward.
Evaluation:
Though EMWREP used surveys with city staff during the creation of the MS4
Toolkit, we do not currently have measures in place to evaluate the use or impact of education
materials available through the toolkit.Website analytics tell us that more than 200 people have
created profiles to access materials in the toolkit.
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AA:2013-2015
PPENDIX EDUCATION PROGRAM BUDGET FOR
Shared Water Resource Education Program -Washington Conservation District Annual
Budget
Staff Support MaterialsTotal
(2650hours/year)
$119,780$6,000$125,780
MEMBERSHIP STRUCTURE AND FUNDINGCONTRIBUTIONS*
*PARTNER contributions will bereviewed and adjusted on an annual basis, as neededand in
accordance with the terms of the Agreement.
PARTNERAnnual
Contribution
SWWD$22,000
VBWD$16,750
BCWD$16,750
CLFLWD$16,750
CMSCWD$11,000
RWMWD$11,000
RCWD$2,225
Washington County$11,000
MSCWMO$5,500
Cottage Grove$2,225
Forest Lake$2,225
Lake Elmo$2,225
Stillwater$2,225
Woodbury$2225
Dellwood$560
Willernie$560
West Lakeland Twp$560
$125,780.00
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AB:MEA
PPENDIX AP OF DUCATION CTIVITIES
32