Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies Report: Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District

The Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District (RWMWD) is located in eastern Ramsey County and western Washington County in the state of Minnesota and encompasses portions of a number of communities including White Bear Lake, Vadnais Heights, Gem Lake, Little Canada, Maplewood, Landfall, North St. Paul, St. Paul, Oakdale, Woodbury, Roseville, and Shoreview. Battle Creek, Fish Creek, Bennett Lake and Wakefield Lake within the RWMWD are impaired for both aquatic life use and aquatic recreation use. Stormwater runoff and stream bank erosion are having negative effects on the watershed's water quality. Urban development in the watershed has resulted in runoff that carries excess phosphorus, sediment, and bacteria into bodies of water that degrades water quality and is harmful to aquatic life. The intent of this Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) report was to develop a scientifically-based restoration and protection strategy for the RWMWD. This WRAPS summarizes past efforts to monitor water quality, identifies impaired water bodies and those in need of protection, and identifies strategies for restoring and protecting water quality in the watershed. The strategies included in this report target point and non-point sources of pollution and include reducing streambank erosion, reducing in-lake nutrients, and improving stormwater management to help improve water quality in the watershed.