District Receives Two Awards

The Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District received two awards from Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts (MAWD) at its recent Annual Convention.  The District received the Project of the Year Award for its Maplewood Mall Runoff Reduction Retrofit Project.  The District was also a partner in the Program of the Year Award presented to the Brown’s Creek, Comfort Lake-Forest Lake, Carnelian-Marine-St. Croix, Rice Creek, Ramsey-Washington Metro, Valley Branch, and South Washington Watershed Districts for the East Metro Water Resource Education Program (EMWREP). 


RWMWD Managers and staff accept the MAWD
Project of the Year Award

The Maplewood Mall Project was a four-phase, five-year project that implemented volume reduction measures throughout the Mall’s 35-acre parking lot to infiltrate or filter the first one inch of runoff.  This project will reduce sediment loads to the watershed by at least 90% and reduce phosphorus loading by over 60%.  This innovative project included tree trenches, rain gardens, enhanced sand filters, and a stormwater cistern as well as educational and interpretive features.  The total project cost was approximately $7 million and included $3.5 million in grants from the Clean Water Fund and the 319 program through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.  More information is available on the District web site at  www.rwmwd.org.

EMWREP partners accept the MAWD
Program of the Year Award

The EMWREP program is an educational collaborative among seven east metro watershed districts with staff provided by the Washington Conservation District.  This collaborative approach provides high quality staff support in a cost-effective and efficient approach.  The program provides education and outreach to the public, municipal staff and officials, business owners, and other target audiences.  The main components of the program include general education programs and special events, weekly newspaper articles and newsletters, elected official education, and training programs for landscapers, master gardeners, engineers, city staff and contractors on various stormwater management and stewardship topics.

Cliff Aichinger
RWMWD Administrator