Wednesday, July 10th. 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

The Big Sandy Area Lakes Watershed Management Project is sponsoring a Rain Garden Maintenance Workshop.  Have you installed a rain garden or shoreline planting project?  After a while they can use a little help.  But what should be done?  Is it a weed or a good flower?  Should the plants be split and thinned?  If you have some of these questions, you will find this session helpful. 

In 2013, the Tamarack Sno-Fliers installed a rain garden at their Clubhouse.  Ten years later there have been successes and challenges with this project.  Join us to learn about the design and ideas behind the rain garden.  What works well and what is not recommended.   We’ll also go outside to view the rain garden, identify plants, and look for weeds.  This is a great opportunity to learn from people who have installed and maintained this garden. 

The Rain Garden Maintenance workshop will be held on Friday, September 1st at the Tamarack Sno-Flyers Clubhouse on County Road 6 in Tamarack.  It will run from 10 am – 12:00 noon.  There is no cost for the program, however pre-registration is requested.  For more information or to let us know you’re coming call the Aitkin County SWCD at (218) 927-7284.

The Cromwell City Park will be a busy place in 2022. The city received a grant through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to improve safety and recreational opportunities in the park. In addition, a stormwater project, funded by a Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment Grant through the Board of Water and Soil Resources and a Section 319 Small Watershed Focus Grant, will install several rain gardens and bioretention areas to treat stormwater from parking lots and roofs. This will protect water quality in the Tamarack River and will be a stormwater demonstration and education site for our community.

Join us to learn about the project and how you can protect our waters!

• Park Construction: Spring – Early Summer 2022
• Raingarden Planting: Summer 2022
• Grand Opening: Late Summer 2022

The BSALWMP is partnering with the MPCA and EPA to work on restoration of impaired waters in the Tamarack River and Minnewawa Lakes Watershed.

This project is the first implementation project from The Tamarack River, Horseshoe, Island, & Minnewawa Lakes Subwatershed Nine Element Plan and includes the Tamarack River, Horseshoe, Island, & Minnewawa Lakes subwatersheds and their 5 impaired lakes (nutrients) and 1 impaired stream (bacteria): (Eagle – 09-0057-00, Lower Island – 09-0060-02, Upper Island – 09-0060-01, Lake Minnewawa – 01-0033-00, Horseshoe Lake – 01-0034-00 and the Tamarack River – 07010103-758).

This project works towards removing these impairments by reducing phosphorous and bacteria, focusing on four project areas: stormwater, lakeshore, farm, and forestry best management practices (BMPs).

Cost-share programs will be used to install BMPs that will result in a reduction of 48.9 lbs of phosphorous and 3,852 billion MPN/org/year. A key strategy for project implementation is education and outreach and providing technical assistance and support to watershed residents and lake associations.

Contact us if you are interested in learning more!

We’d love to partner with you, if this program can help!