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NEWSLETTER / JULY 2022
 One of the largest and most impactful transformations of the Minneapolis riverfront in our lifetimes is set to break ground next month.
Upper Harbor Terminal (UHT) is a 53-acre former industrial site located on the Mississippi River in North Minneapolis. The City of Minneapolis, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB), and various other partners have been working to redevelop the site.
On July 12, the MWMO awarded a $2.6 million grant for shoreline and habitat restoration work at UHT. Set to begin in August (pending formal approval by the MPRB), this first step in UHT’s multi-phase redevelopment will restore a total of 4 acres within a new 19.5-acre riverfront park. The funding will be used to:
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regrade the slope along the river to facilitate shoreline restoration, including soil stabilization and establishment of native vegetation, and to allow people to walk down and access the river;
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establish diverse vegetation, including native plants and oak forest, to enhance biodiversity and create habitat; and
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Restore a ravine and construct a pedestrian overlook that will allow future bike and pedestrian trails to be routed so as to minimize disruption to habitat.
The redevelopment of the UHT site presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to return a large section of Mississippi River corridor to a diverse and thriving ecosystem, as well as reconnect North Minneapolis residents to the riverfront.
There will likely be more MWMO grants for UHT. MWMO staff have been working with the project partners to identify and fund opportunities for large-scale stormwater management and habitat restoration at the site.
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 Up to 40 percent more funding each year is now available for MWMO Stewardship Fund Grants after the MWMO Board of Commissioners voted July 12 to increase the annual grant award limit from $250,000 to $350,000.
Stewardship Fund Grants are designed to support small- to medium-sized projects to manage stormwater, control pollution, and improve water quality and habitat. Three grant types — Community, Planning, and Action — support projects of varying size and scope.
The increased funding for the program reflects higher demand as well as rising prices for construction materials and labor. Grant funding is awarded through a competitive process.
If you want to learn about applying for a grant, we encourage you to join us for one of our upcoming virtual information sessions on Aug. 24 or Sept. 12.
Upcoming Grant Application Deadlines
 The MWMO has awarded three new Planning Grants to help lay the groundwork for future projects to manage stormwater and create pollinator habitat at three sites in Minneapolis. The new projects include:
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"Breakroom" Pocket Park — A vacant lot underneath a Downtown Minneapolis skyway is envisioned as a new skatepark and public green space. The grant will support soil and permeability tests and other investigations need to support future stormwater management.
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Little Earth Healing Roots and Native Pollinator Project — This grant will support planning for a 6,000-square-foot pollinator planting area near the Little Earth housing complex and urban farm.
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ZaRah Building Stormwater Management — ZaRah is a planned cultural wellness hub for black women entrepreneurs. Grant funding will go toward outreach and design of a new stormwater management plan for the site.
Planning Grants are a type of Stewardship Fund Grant designed to help organizations plan, design, and prepare for future water quality and habitat restoration projects.
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 Becka Thompson represents the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) on the MWMO's Board of Commissioners and is the subject of this month's "Meet the Commissioners" series.
A newcomer to politics, Thompson was elected to represent MPRB Ward 2, which includes all of North Minneapolis, from Theodore Wirth Park to Upper Harbor Terminal.
A former competitive swimmer and triathlete, she spent much of her time growing up recreating on the city's many waterways and wants to make them more accessible to all residents.
“I really love the fact that most of the Mississippi River as it goes through the city is pretty wild,” she says. “I’m hoping that we can reclaim some of that character on the north side.”
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 If you haven't taken a close look at your raingarden or native plant garden recently, it's probably about time.
Weeds and volunteer trees sneak up on you fast — even in the mid-summer heat — and it's important to remove unwanted plants before they go to seed.
You can learn the basic tools tools and techniques for keeping raingardens healthy with help from former Mississippi River Green Team members Boyee Thao and Akia Vang:
Watch on YouTube
 You might have heard that the migratory monarch butterfly has been declared an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
One way you can help is to plant native wildflowers, including milkweed species. As adults, monarchs rely on the nectar of a diversity of native plants blooming at different times of year as their food source.
Native milkweed species like common milkweed are especially important because they serve as the sole food source and host plant for monarch caterpillars. Butterfly weed is another milkweed species great for drier conditions, and swamp milkweed is great for wetter conditions.
More info on the 14 species of Minnesota milkweeds is available via the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources.
 Gary C. has adopted five drains near his house in Columbia Heights.
Columbia Heights is leading the way in consistently cleaning stormdrains adopted by community members, reporting 231 cleanings between March and June.
The Community Adopt-a-Drain Challenge is a friendly competition between cities in Anoka County in the spirit of protecting water, and includes Adover, Blaine, Columbia Heights and Fridley. Combined, community members from these cities have adopted 71 new drains this year.
You can adopt-a-drain no matter your city in Minnesota, and be sure to remember to report your cleanings to help track the collective impact on our waterways.
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Jim Rudolph Promoted to Water Resources Specialist
Congratulations to Jim Rudolph, who became the MWMO's new Water Resources Specialist earlier this month!
Jim has been with the MWMO for five years, and previously served as an environmental specialist.
His new role will involve less fieldwork and more data management. His job duties will include administering and managing projects and contracts, preparing annual reports, maintaining monitoring databases, and keeping up to date with state and federal regulations.
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Meet the Interns: Donald Hagen
Summer interns play an important role at the MWMO, helping perform the day-to-day work of water quality monitoring while learning on the job. One by one, we're introducing readers to our interns each month here in our newsletter.
Intern Donald Haugen grew up in St. Paul and earned his B.S. in Environmental Science from Willamette University, where he worked on several undergraduate projects related to heavy metals contamination in water.
His future plans include working in environmental compliance, "ensuring that corporate entities are held accountable for taking proper care of the natural resources that we all depend upon," and pursuing a Masters in Business Administration.
Welcome, Donald!
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Personal Watersheds Exhibit Now on Display
 Weaving Water artist Sarah Nassif's new exhibit, Personal Watersheds, is on view at the MWMO's Stormwater Park and Learning Center from June 18 to September 16, 2022.
The interactive exhibit features Nassif’s solo work in fiber and video, her Weaving Water community collaborations, and a working indigo dye and fiber art studio. The gallery is filled with various fiber art materials like yarn, wool and cloth, and tools you can use to make things to add to the exhibit.
Visitors are welcome during the MWMO's public open hours from Tuesday–Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Making a reservation allows us to ensure that the doors are open for you when you arrive. Should the door be locked during open hours, please ring the doorbell.
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