Water Services

North St. Louis County is renown for its beautiful lakes and streams and we intend to keep it that way by offering a variety of services for landowners so that they may best manage their property.

Key Programs:

Lake Water Quality
Improving background information on targeted lakes within St. Louis County is an important step in protecting the valuable water resources of our area. Technical assistance is provided to Lake Associations or concerned landowners in the following areas: 1) Lake sampling (collection of water samples for further analysis, temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH) 2) Watershed assessment (watershed delineation and land use inventory) and 3) Development of a lake assessment report (sampling procedures, results and data, and recommendations). For a discussion of fees, please contact us.

Rain Gauge Monitoring
The North St. Louis SWCD coordinates a network of 25 rain gauges district-wide that are perated by volunteers. Each volunteer measures daily precipitation with a cylinder-style rain gauge. The data is compiled by our office and forwarded to the Minnesota State Office of Climatology. If interested in becoming a rain gauge volunteer (gauges provided at no cost), please contact our office.

Erosion Control
Controlling soil erosion not only reduces transport of sediment, but it also reduces the movement of nutrients and additional chemicals, thereby protecting surface water quality. Planning and design assistance is available for: 1) Shoreline and streambank stabilization (rock riprap and bioengineering) 2) Lakeshore alterations (tree plantings, diversions, and filterstrip establishment) 3) Urban construction projects (sediment basins, diversions, and critical area seedings) and 4) Borrow pit reclamation (bank stabilization, seeding and mulching, and diversions). Cost-share assistance may be available depending on the nature of the project.

Stormwater Best Management Practices 
Click here for further information about managing stormwater runoff.

Shore Impact Zone Re-Vegetation
The St. Louis County Zoning Ordinance states that the removal of natural vegetation within the shore and bluff impact zones is restricted and limited to the following: A) The removal of dead, diseased, dangerous, and storm or fire damaged trees, shrubs and plants B) The trimming and pruning of trees, shrubs, and plants C) The removal of 25% of trees, shrubs, and plants. It is within these zones that vegetation is most crucial for 1) providing screening of your structure for your privacy and to increase aesthetic value of the lakeshore and 2) filtering sediment and nutrients from runoff that could impair the water quality of your lake. Please contact us for assistance with the design of re-vegetation plans. Click here for additional information.

Well-Sealing Cost-Share
Well-sealing cost-share assistance (maximum 50%) is available for landowners who meet certain criteria defined by the State of Minnesota. Contact our office for a list of the criteria.

Shoreland Information and Education Opportunities                                 
Click here to check out these resources for shoreland owners .