Lower Minnesota River Watershed District

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Lower Minnesota River Watershed District

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Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Lower Minnesota River Watershed District, Public & Government Service, 112 E. 5th Street, Chaska, MN.

The LMRWD works together with our communities to protect, improve, and educate about our valuable water resources as well as provide recreational opportunities and commercial barge navigation.

10/15/2026

The Lower Minnesota River Watershed District (LMRWD) is pleased to join other conservation organizations working to protect and restore the Minnesota River on Sunday, October 18 at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Bloomington for the “For Love of a River Revival". This is a free, public event hosted by the Minnesota Valley Refuge Friends, designed to celebrate the river's past, present, and future.

The LMRWD will be present at the event, which begins at 1 p.m. with information tables staffed by nine river conservation organizations. Attendees will have a chance to meet the people and groups working on river issues, learn about their efforts, and connect across the Minnesota River conservation community.

The program, 2–4 p.m., will explore the river’s history and ongoing restoration work. Geri Nelson will present For Love of a River: The Minnesota, a book by Darby Nelson edited by John Hickman and published by Beaver’s Pond Press in 2019. The film "River Revival: Working Together to Save the Minnesota River" will also be shared during this time, followed by an open discussion.

Event details:
💧 Date: Sunday, October 18, 2026
💧 Time: 1 p.m. Conservation organization tables; 2–4 p.m. program
💧 Location: Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, 3815 American Boulevard East, Bloomington
💧 Admission: Free

We hope everyone who cares about the Minnesota River will join us for this important revival event!

08/18/2026

This month’s Board meeting will be held in the Shakopee Community Center Community Room, tomorrow, August 19 from 7-9pm. The public is invited to join the meeting, which will include a public hearing on the proposed 2027 budget and levy, the swearing in of a new Board Manager representing Dakota County, and discussion of a cost-share agreement with the City of Shakopee for the Lewis Street/2nd Avenue Downtown Best Management Practice (BMP) project.

Meeting Details:
💧Wednesday, August 19, 2026 (7:00-9:00pm)
💧 Community Room of the Shakopee Community Center
💧1255 Fuller Street, Shakopee, MN 55379

View the full agenda and or log in virtually at: bit.ly/4ifP5AT

08/05/2026

It is with great sadness that we share a remembrance for our friend and colleague, Mark F. Ten Eyck, who passed away this week following injuries sustained in a bicycle accident while traveling in Kansas. 🌿

Many across Minnesota knew Mark as one of our state's foremost environmental attorneys and conservation advocates. Those who had the privilege of working with him noted that he was generous with his time, thoughtful in his counsel, and deeply committed to protecting Minnesota's waters, landscapes, and communities.

“I was fortunate to know Mark personally,” shared Board President Joseph Barisonzi, “he became an informal advisor to me in my role as President of the Lower Minnesota River Watershed District. Whenever I sought his perspective, he brought wisdom, humility, and an unwavering commitment to the public good. He had an extraordinary ability to help others think through difficult problems while always keeping sight of the larger purpose of conservation.”

Mark's influence extends far beyond the legal cases he argued or the policies he helped shape. He invested in people. He mentored emerging leaders, strengthened organizations, and quietly helped countless conservation efforts succeed without ever seeking recognition for himself.

On behalf of the Lower Minnesota River Watershed District, we extend our deepest condolences to Mark's family, friends, and the many colleagues whose lives he touched.

May we honor Mark's memory by continuing the work he devoted his life to: protecting the waters, lands, and wildlife that define Minnesota for generations yet to come.

07/28/2026

Paddlers in Deans Lake shared a troubling report this last week. An estimated 500 northern pike were found dead in the water, with sampled water temperatures at nearly 90°F. Community-based volunteer researcher Victoria Ranua shared information on the large fish die-off event with the Lower Minnesota River Watershed District (LMRWD). To better understand the situation, the LMRWD reached out to experts in our network.

"Local strains of native fish are well adapted to Minnesota's climate,” shared Tyler Winter, Board Member of Native Fish for Tomorrow, “but extreme heat and low water levels compound the effects of nutrient pollution, leading to hypoxic conditions. The lack of oxygen turns a chronic problem into an acute one. Since only four native fish can breathe air, hypoxia is the leading cause of fish kills."

As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of these heat events, we can expect these impacts to become more common across our watershed. Warmer water holds less dissolved oxygen and creates stressful conditions for fish and other aquatic life.

At the LMRWD, we address these challenges by protecting and restoring natural elements like wetlands, shorelines, and floodplains, expanding tree canopy to create shade and improving stormwater management practices. Residents also play an important role, from planting native vegetation to conserving water during dry periods.

These collective actions all add up to improve water quality, strengthen ecosystem health, and increase our ability to adapt to a warmer future. But are they enough? Scenes like these are a reminder that the impacts are here now. The LMRWD continues to work for transformative change that allows us to find solutions to these large and complex challenges.

If you’re ready to get involved, learn more at lowermnriverwd.org or leave a message on our post.

07/17/2026

This week, the Board of Managers meeting was hosted in the City of Carver, with Mayor Courtney Johnson sharing a project update on the critical work to improve and certify the City's levee. Located right on the Minnesota River, Carver is rebuilding its 50-year levee to regain certification from the US Army Corps of Engineers and Federal Emergency Management Agency, protecting the historic downtown from flooding and securing continued flood insurance.

The Lower Minnesota River Watershed District (LMRWD) is a proud project partner, and has contributed funding for the preliminary design tasks, understanding the need to proactively address floodplain needs along the Minnesota River.

To learn more about this project, review:
💧Project update: https://bit.ly/459csEB
💧Project homepage: https://bit.ly/4wQuaZr

Images: (Left) Rendering of Levee Improvements (Credit: City of Carver); Top Right: Manager Bakkum, Manager Viswanathan, Manager McNew, Administrator Will Lytle, and Manager Barisonzi; Lower Right: Manager Viswanathan, Manager Barisonzi, Mayor Courtney Johnson, Manager McNew, and Manager Bakkum.

06/16/2026

Join us in Savage at the primary dredge site along the Minnesota River where we’ll walk through the site and get a comprehensive look at the work we’re doing. The tour will be from 5-6pm followed by the LMRWD Monthly Board Meeting at the McColl Pond Environmental Learning Center at 7pm with a presentation from the US Army Corps of Engineers.

The dredge site serves as an upland placement and beneficial use site for sediment dredged from the river. Keeping this stretch of the river dredged is critical for commercial barges that transport raw materials like grain, fertilizer, and aggregates. Come and see the work LMRWD is doing at this important location along the river!

Find all of the details and a site map on our website: bit.ly/4vR2jHU

05/19/2026

The May Board Meeting of the Lower Minnesota River Watershed District (LMRWD) will be held at the Eden Prairie Library on Wednesday, May 20, from 6:00-8:00 pm.

The meeting will include an update on the Area 3 Bank Stabilization Project in Eden Prairie, MN, a large-scale construction project to stabilize rapidly eroding riverbank along a steep slope.

All LMRWD Board meetings are open to the public. We welcome our partners to join us and learn about collaborative solutions. Board meeting details are available on the LMRWD website: https://lowermnriverwd.org/meetings.

04/16/2026

Come and say hi to our Citizen Advisory Committee this weekend - they will be exhibiting at the Eden Prairie Eco Expo from 10am to 5pm on Saturday April 18.
Celebrate Earth Day by exploring ways to live your best eco-friendly life! 🌍

04/09/2026

This week, our Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) hosted a mixer event to convene stakeholders from neighboring watershed districts, local government units, partner organizations, and the general public. We had a great turnout and are thrilled with the new connections made to support resource management and build momentum around improving the Minnesota River. Participants discussed issues and brainstormed new ideas for broader collaboration. Input from the meeting will help our CAC advise the Board, bring issues and opportunities into the watershed management planning process, and grow their network around key concerns and actions.

The Lower Minnesota River Watershed District is actively recruiting new CAC members and looking to expand its impact. We are welcoming new partners to consider submitting an application and joining us at future meetings to continue this important work. If you are interested, we hope you will consider your next steps to get involved: bit.ly/4tEVl84

Thanks to everyone who joined us. If you missed out, you are always welcome at the next meeting! Learn more at: lowermnriverwd.org.

03/26/2026

If you love puzzles and learning about natural resources, you need to check out this Savage Fen Puzzle Kickstarter! 🌱🧩

Kade Gouge is a nature-lover and senior product designer at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design who recently launched a Kickstarter to fund his Puzzling Ecosystems Savage Fen Puzzle. At the heart of the project is one question: What if a puzzle could do more than entertain...What if it could help us understand the natural world through play?

The Savage Fen is a calcareous fen wetland located in Savage, MN, and is home to some of the rarest species in the state. However, it’s become endangered due to the introduction of invasive species and human activity.

In this puzzle, your mission is to restore the Savage Fen. The puzzle is more than just a fun game-it's also a learning opportunity. Users will learn as they play, by identifying native and invasive species, eliminating the invasive species with a special puzzle piece, and rewilding the fen with native plant pieces. Adjusting the puzzle with the correct actions will reveal what the fen looks like in its natural glory. This unique component makes the puzzle a wonderful education and outreach opportunity for gamers of all ages.

To make the Savage Fen puzzle a reality, Kade's Kickstarter needs support to go from concept to first production run. Running through April 21, 2026, the project needs to raise $5,000 to become a reality. Just a few days in, the traction is there - but we need our partners to get involved and check out this great design project. Learn more about the puzzle and how to get involved at: bit.ly/3Q2HhX7

We can't wait to see these puzzles in real life!

Address

112 E. 5th Street
Chaska, MN
55318

Website

https://lowermnriverwd.org/

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