Grant funds are available for landowners interested in doing a wetland restoration project that benefits water quality. Common project types are ditch plugs to restore drained wetland areas or excavations that treat ditch water. The highest-ranking projects will be those that treat water that drains into local lakes and rivers. For more information, contact Jamie Schurbon, Watershed Projects Manager, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Each year, ACD staff provide technical assistance for projects focused on ecological resources, surface water, groundwater, and soils throughout Anoka County. This work includes ecological projects such as habitat enhancement and critical-area plantings; surface-water projects such as lakeshore improvements, rain gardens, and swales; groundwater protection through well sealing and septic-system upgrades; and soil-related practices such as cover cropping. These projects help enhance habitat, protect water quality, and support healthy natural systems.

Assistance typically begins with a site consultation. This includes a conversation with the landowner, a review of maps and available information about the property, and a site visit to walk the property and discuss options. If a project moves forward, ACD can assist with planning and design, provide installation oversight, and offer guidance on long-term maintenance. These efforts are made possible through collaboration with landowners and partner organizations. The table below summarizes the technical assistance provided by ACD staff in 2025. 

If you have a conservation question or are interested in exploring options for your property, ACD staff are available to help! We look forward to continuing this work in 2026 and supporting positive environmental outcomes throughout Anoka County. For more information, contact Mitch Haustein, Stormwater & Shoreland Specialist, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

ACD identified several keystone endeavors for each of the foundational natural resources: Surface Water, Ecological Resources, Groundwater, and Soils as well as Community and Operation. We also recognize the foundational knowledge provided by monitoring, inventory, analysis and planning. As we make progress on these endeavors, we'll have a positive impact on the quality of life in Anoka County. Listed below are achievements from 2023. Each year, it's important to take stock in how well we progressed in the prior year. 

Foundational Knowledge
Monitor - 123 monitoring sites including lakes, rivers, wetlands, groundwater, and precipitation involving quantity, quality and biology.
Inventory - Photo inventory of Rum & Mississippi rivers, Oak Glen Creek, and Martin, Linwood, and Coon Lakes. Aquatic plant inventory of Lake George and Highland Lake. Restorable wetlands and buffer law compliance inventories.
Analyze - Completed Centerville Lake Stormwater Retrofit Analysis (SRA). Advanced Rum and Mississippi SRAs. Completed Subwatershed Analysis (SWA) for Ford Brook and Rum River drainage areas.
Strategize - Annual work plans for ACD, local WMOs, Rum and Lower St. Croix watersheds. Participate in regional planning initiatives.

Surface Water
Stabilize Riverbanks - 3,041 ft. of Rum Riverbank.
Improve Quality of Priority Waters - Martin and Typo Lakes improving. Projects on Lake George, Golden Lake, Mississippi and Rum Rivers.
Stabilize Lakeshores - 180 linear ft. of lakeshore on George and Golden Lakes.
Enhance Hydrologic Function - Pond modification treating 86.8 acres for water quality and stormwater attenuation.
Remove Pollutants - 123 lbs Total Phosphorus and 117 tons Total Suspended Solids reduced.
Treat Urban and Rural Runoff - Enhancing treatment of 97 acres of urban runoff.

Ecological Resources
Protect Priority Ecological Corridors - Two RIM conservation easements totaling 52.4 acres including 3,750 ft. of Rum River frontage. Assumed management of 126 acre wetland bank.
Restore and Enhance Wetlands and Uplands - 50 acres-Prairie, 29 acres-oak savanna & woodland, 29 acres-wetland, 10,000 ft²-riparian habitat, and 2,000 ft²-lakeshore habitat.
Rescue Rare Species - 900 rare plants rescued and planted into 5 protected sites.
Control Invasive Species - 41 acres-buckthorn, 2.6 acres-non-native Phragmites, 5 acres-wild parsnip, 1 site-round-leaf bittersweet, 1 site-golden creeper, 10 sites-knotweed, 1 site-tansey, 0.5 acres-spotted knapweed.
Maintain Projects and Practices - 74 sites inspected.

Improve Rural and Urban Habitat - 12,015 ft². of riparian and shoreline buffers. 

Groundwater
Provide Leadership and Coordination - Serve on metro groundwater sustainability workgroup. Pursue funding for Groundwater Specialist. Pass MASWCD resolution for groundwater conservation funding from DNR user fees.
Reduce Use - Comment on DNR water appropriation permits to reduce waste.
Reduce Contamination - 6 failing septic system fixed, 15 wells sealed.

Community
Inspire Behavior Change - 71 projects installed.
Engage Residents - 167 site consultations, 38 project designs, 5 volunteer events, 354 tree sale customers.
Increase Awareness - Completed Our Riverbank Connection video and accompanying online quiz, 26,507 views of Our Connection video series, presentations to 400+ participants on a variety of topics, workshops, monthly snapshot, quarterly newsletter, active blog, and social media.
Assist with Regulatory Compliance - 99.9% buffer law compliance, Wetland Conservation Act guidance.

Soils
Promote Agricultural Soil Health - Cost share funding promotion, 1 project-10 acres.

Operations
Deliver Commitments On Time and On Budget - Closed out 8 grants.
Recruit, Train, Retain Expertise - Added P.E. licensure, no resignations.

For more information on ACD's 2023 activities check out the full 2023 ACD Annual Report or contact Chris Lord, District Manager, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Minnesota's natural resources play an important role in the state's economy and high quality of life. Protecting and managing these precious natural resources is a large undertaking and takes continuous effort at the state and local level. Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCD's) throughout the state are governed by a five member board of supervisors elected by the citizens of the county. The SWCD board is responsible for policy development, annual plans, budgets, and more. The Anoka Conservation District will have three supervisor positions on the November 2024 ballot. These positions are four-year terms and require between 1 to 3 monthly meetings and receive modest compensation per meeting.  

The following districts in Anoka County will be up for election:

District 1 - Anoka, part of Coon Rapids, Nowthen, Oak Grove, Ramsey, St. Francis
District 4 - Portions of Blaine and Coon Rapids, all of Lexington
District 5 - Bethel, Centerville, Circle Pines, Columbus, East Bethel, Ham Lake, Lino Lakes, Linwood Township

Filing is easy but must happen between May 21 and June 4. Just go down to the County Government Center in Anoka during that time and they'll tell you what to do.

For more information read the frequently asked Questions or contact Kathy Berkness, Office Administrator, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

The elected Board of ACD is moving forward with legislation to have the ability to levy property taxes for residents of Anoka County. With the levy limits included in the bill (HF3701) and ACD's other revenue streams, the anticipated levy increase for the average single family home in 2025 through 2029 is around $0.67 per year. Why bother pursuing legislation for such a small levy? That's a long story, but here's the gist of it.

• ACD has been around since 1946 serving the public by providing financial and technical assistance to private landowners who want to be good stewards of our lakes, stream, wetlands, drinking water, wildlife, etc.
• ACD submits a budget to Anoka County to request funding to support our mission. The County has the option to fund all, some or none of the request.
• ACD's requests to the County compete for limited funding against transportation, public safety, social services, economic development, and parks and recreation.
• For 20 years, when population growth and inflation alone grew Anoka County's budget by 83%, ACD's allocation grew by 8.4%.

"So what you're saying is that if ACD gets its way, a family of four in Anoka County will have to give up one fancy cup of coffee every four years for cleaner lakes and rivers, better fishing, improved habitat for wildlife, and safer drinking water?" Well, when you put it that way…

For more information about ACD's pursuit for levy authority contact Chris Lord, District Manager, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

The Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council is recommending $952,000 from the Outdoor Heritage Fund for ACD to stabilize eroding Rum Riverbanks utilizing habitat-building, bioengineering approaches over the next three years. Bioengineering techniques stabilize and armor eroding riverbanks in a way that both protects the bank from further erosion and provides traversable habitat for wildlife. These techniques rely on using natural materials such as tree trunks and root wads, in-stream rock weirs, native plantings and tree staking, gradual slope grading, and minimal hard armoring where necessary. Current erosion along streambanks, as well as traditional armoring techniques like riprap, result in a wall or barrier to wildlife. The bioengineering techniques that will be employed by ACD in the Rum River will eliminate those barriers and provide additional habitat for all kinds of wildlife.

ACD has identified over twenty eroding banks along the Rum River in Anoka County that it will be seeking to address with these funds. It is anticipated that four to eight sites will be stabilized with the $952,000 from the LSOHC and an additional $236,000 in local funds from Anoka County and the Upper and Lower Rum River Watershed Management Organizations. Anoka County has pledged $442,000 in Rum River stabilization matching funds over the next five years. The remaining funds will be used as match for future grant applications.

The Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council has made the funding recommendation to the Minnesota Legislature, who will draft final bill language during the 2020 legislative session. ACD will begin reaching out to landowners with identified eroding banks suitable for these stabilization techniques after the funding is finalized.

  Example photo of an eroding Rum Riverbank stabilized with bioengineering techniques. This project was the result of the continuing partnership between ACD and Anoka County Parks. ​​