Washington Conservation District: Water - Planting For Clean Water

Blue Thumb - Planting for Clean Water

Blue Thumb - Planting for Clean Water helps homeowners to beautify their yards while improving local water quality. Create native flower gardens, build raingardens and stabilize shoreline property with plants. We'll connect you with nurseries in your area that sell Blue Thumb plants, give you sample garden designs and help you find mini grants to make your projects happen.

Click here for a list of raingardens to visit in Washington County.

Get Involved

Wild Ones Spring Conference: Feb. 25

Blue Thumb workshops:

- Feb. 28 at All Saints Lutheran in Cottage Grove, 6-8pm

- March 13 at Gander Mountain in Forest Lake, 6-8pm

Blue Thumb Video Contest running Dec 5, 2011 - Mar 1, 2012. See www.bluethumb.org for details.

More on the Blue Thumb Calendar of Events!

Visit the East Metro Clean Water Partners page to learn what's happening in your area, including cost-share grants for residents, workshops and local projects. Visit the Habitat Restoration page to learn how to attract birds and wildlife to your land and prevent water pollution.

Are you looking for an excuse to eat, drink and be merry? Iinvite your friends and neighbors to your home for a Blue Thumb Party or request a presentation for your church, garden club or citizen group. Learn how to create beautiful gardens for your home that complement and enhance your existing landscaping, attract birds and butterflies and help to keep local lakes and rivers clean. Get in touch with grants, garden blue-prints, local nurseries and landscape companies, how-to guides, workshops and more! Contact Angie Hong for more information.

Keeping our Water Clean
No one likes to swim in a green, algae covered lake or fish from a smelly river. We all rely on clean water here in Washington County for drinking, fishing, swimming and recreation and it's up to all of us to keep our water clean and usable.

How's my lake?

Lake Grades

Did you know that storm water runoff is the number one cause of water pollution here in Washington County? Every time it rains, water runs off of roofs, driveways and roads and into storm sewers and roadside ditches. Along the way, stormwater runoff picks up dirt, fertilizer, oil and other pollutants, which are then carried to local lakes and rivers. The result is dirty water and lots of thick green algae. You can check out the report card for your local lake, learn more about the groundwater we drink or find out how we can control storm water pollution.