Rice Creek Watershed District

11/05/2026

We’re experiencing higher water levels with the recent rains, but we’re still well below normal across the watershed. Some isolated flooding has/is occurring (ditches and Hansen park pond have experienced some localized flooding) but overall, we remain in drought conditions.

Here's where things stand:

Rice Creek: Flow was about 8.5 cfs before the rain, now it’s about 35 cfs. Still below the typical 45-50 cfs for this time of year.

White Bear Lake: The lake has dropped more than a foot this year and is now below 922 for the first time in many years. Recent rain may have increased it a few inches.

Rainfall: We've received only 60–80% of normal precipitation this year, following a winter with little snow and very little spring runoff.

RCWD’s many wetland and lake storage areas (especially in the upper watershed) were so dry, we’re seeing little runoff into lakes and Rice Creek.

You can check out water levels here: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/USGS-05288580/ =continuous-00060-0&period=P30D&showFieldMeasurements=true&compare=true&showMedian=true

11/03/2026

Do you want a rain garden similar to this??

Apply for our Water Quality Grant! Link to our grant application page in comments or bio.

It’s never a bad time to start thinking about rain gardens. Now is the perfect time to start planning for next year’s round of funding!

Rain gardens are a beautiful way to help protect our lakes and waterways. They help capture and absorb stormwater, reduce runoff, and filter pollutants before they reach our storm drains and local lakes.

Start planning today!

10/21/2026

Earlier this month we did an art workshop series where participants created mosaics inspired by our local water resources, pollinators, and native plants.

This workshop was in collaboration with Anoka County library and the We Are Water MN exhibit that’s currently on display at the library.

The art pieces will be on display until the end of the month (find them hanging in the children’s section). Go check them out and read about how everyone is inspired to care for their water!💧

10/21/2026

Many of our residents have expressed interest in learning more about native plants and pollinator gardens, so we'll be sharing some webinars that cover those topics (some might not be local but the information is still relevant!)

Webinar coming up Oct 27th! Native plants are not only great for protecting our local waterbodies like lakes and rivers but they are needed for our local pollinators like bumblebees and monarchs.

"We'll cover the foundational tenets, then dive into areas of recent research on hot topics such as cultivars (and nativars), nesting habitat, and leaving leaves—and what it all means for you and your garden. Whether you are a long-time aficionado or a newcomer curious what the hype is about, this talk offers clear, evidence-based guidance for how to steward a garden that you find beautiful and which also makes a meaningful impact on the natural world."

Registration link in event listing.

Join the Pollinator Pathway for Free Fall Webinar with Nick Dorian, Ph.D.

Tuesday, October 27, 6:30-7:30 PM ET on Zoom
LIVE EVENT ONLY - This program will not be recorded

Register online on our website or by clicking the link in our bio!

10/16/2026

We want to hear from you! If you live or work within the Rice Creek Watershed District, please take a few minutes to complete our Resident Feedback and Experience Survey regarding our Communications and Outreach Program.

Your input will help shape future community events, workshops, educational materials, art, public engagement, communications, and other activities in your communities.

Not sure if you’re in the watershed district? Check your address here: https://www.ricecreek.org/the-watershed/are-you-in-the-rcwd/

Survey link here and in comments: https://us.maptionnaire.com/p/outreachsurvey

10/15/2026

The 2026 MN Water Resource Conference was a success for our staff! We had 3 staff that presented, one presentation was about maintaining and monitoring Iron Enhanced Sand Filters and the other one was about using ArGIS Dashboards.

See our Watershed Based Implementation Funding dashboard at the link in comments!

10/09/2026

Watch this before and after! What a difference only one year can make 😍

The native plants are filling in quickly, and the rain garden is progressing so nicely. A huge shoutout to Christ the King Lutheran Church members for all their hard work caring for their rain garden and keeping up with the weeding!

This two-basin rain garden captures stormwater runoff from the church roof and parking lot, helping capture, slow down, and treat stormwater runoff before it reaches Long Lake.

Stay tuned for more workshops and volunteer opportunities out here!

10/09/2026

We spent the evening with Planting for Clean Water, Christ the King Lutheran Church members, and others from the watershed community learning all about native plants and rain gardens!

We worked on the church’s rain garden. The church received a Water Quality Grant from the district to install this rain garden system. It’s filled with native plants and was planted by the church community!

Collaborations like this help get projects in the ground to protect and improve our local water resources like Long Lake but also give us an opportunity to engage, educate, and involve the public.

Stay tuned for more events!

10/02/2026

Watch a rain garden in action! 💧

This large rain garden system is designed to capture and treat stormwater from parking lots and roads before it enters the storm drain system and eventually reaches nearby lakes like Lake Johanna and Lake Josephine.

Native plants help slow down and absorb the stormwater, allowing it to naturally infiltrate into the ground. This helps reduce runoff and keeps pollutants and excess water from flowing directly into our storm drains and local lakes.