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NEWSLETTER / JANUARY 2023
MWMO Grant to Fund Green Infrastructure Along Reconstructed Roadway
 A boulevard tree trench in Hoyer Heights, similar to the planned improvements along 37th Avenue NE.
A nearly one-mile-long street reconstruction project on the border of Columbia Heights and Minneapolis will include a number of stormwater and habitat improvements, thanks to a $436,000 grant from the MWMO.
The Cities of Columbia Heights and Minneapolis plan to reconstruct 37th Avenue NE between Central Avenue NE and Stinson Avenue NE starting later this year. The MWMO funds will be used to construct 27 curbside bioswales and tree trenches that will run the length of the rebuilt roadway.
The addition of green stormwater infrastructure along the roadway will keep an estimated 13 pounds of total phosphorus and 2,632 pounds of sediment out of the river each year. The project also provides ecological benefits by creating pollinator habitat, similar to the nearby Hoyer Heights Tree Trenches.
Read the News Release
‘Regrowth’ Sculpture to Help Bring Climate Awareness to The Great Northern Festival
 Aaron Dysart with his "Regrowth" sculpture at The Great Northern Festival's kickoff event.
A sculpture designed to raise awareness of the urban tree canopy and its role in mitigating the impacts of climate change was unveiled at The Great Northern Festival’s kickoff party Jan. 25.
Aaron Dysart’s Regrowth presents an image that is at once tragic and hopeful: a tree stump with a lone sprout reaching upward toward the sky. It’s a metaphor that speaks to the damage being wrought by climate change and the hope we must learn to find in spite of it.
In the artist's words: "It’s based on the concept that when a tree is cut down, some species can actually regrow trees up from that stump. I’ve always felt it as kind of a hopeful icon that acknowledges the trauma and the loss of the past, and doesn't cover it up, but yet reaches for a more hopeful future.”
Learn why the MWMO and Green Minneapolis commissioned the piece and see the "dancing" sculpture in action on our blog (below). You can see it in person at Peavey Plaza in Downtown Minneapolis through the end of February.
Read the Blog Post | Watch the Video
Smart Salting Bill Reintroduced at Minnesota Legislature
 A stormwater outfall discharges dirty runoff from the spring melt into the Mississippi River.
A long-awaited smart salting bill with bipartisan support has been reintroduced at the Minnesota Legislature.
The MWMO supports the proposed legislation (HF280/SF755), which would create a voluntary smart salting certification program for commercial salt applicators and offer liability protections for those who become certified. Supporters believe the bill would help reduce pressure on contractors and property managers to over-apply salt and deicing chemicals, which are harmful to waterbodies.
MWMO staff testified in support of the bill at a Senate committee hearing last year. We encourage residents to reach out to their state lawmakers and urge their support as the bill moves through the committee process and on to the House and Senate floors.
You can find out who represents you in the Minnesota House and Senate here.
Updated MWMO Watershed Boundaries Highlight Hidden Flows Beneath the Streets
 A view of MWMO watershed boundary changes in North Minneapolis.
The MWMO watershed has updated boundaries. On Jan. 10, the MWMO Board of Commissioners approved an updated boundary map that adds 30 acres and subtracts 70 acres for a net loss of 40 acres in North Minneapolis. You can explore the changes in this interactive map.
Such boundary changes are rare, but not unusual. Watersheds are unique in that our jurisdictions are defined by the directional flow of stormwater runoff — not by county or municipal borders. As a result, watershed boundaries are often updated when new information indicates that an area’s runoff is flowing through a different set of pipes than previously thought.
If you’ve been following the ongoing saga of “Lake Chipotle,” you might be interested to know that our watershed boundaries end right in front of the building. So while the Uptown Diner’s parking lot (across the street) drains through our watershed, Chipotle’s parking lot drains (or doesn’t drain, as the case may be) through the Minnehaha Creek watershed.
Check out our updated map and find out if you’re in the watershed on our website.
Sarah Nassif Artist Residency Extended; ‘Weaving Water’ Hits the Road
 Sarah Nassif leads a Weaving Water workshop at the MWMO Stormwater Park and Learning Center.
Sarah Nassif will be taking her popular Weaving Water workshops on the road in 2023 after the MWMO extended her community artist residency for another year.
Nassif’s workshops and their associated exhibit, Personal Watersheds, have proven to be a powerful and adaptable vehicle for connecting people to water and one another through the arts of fiber handcraft and indigo dyeing. (Minnesota Public Radio News recently featured her work in an episode of Art Hounds.)
This year, Nassif plans to bring Weaving Water workshops to various communities within the MWMO watershed. The MWMO is sponsoring the workshops as a means of developing personal networks and community capacity around water and habitat protection in the watershed.
Look for details on upcoming workshops in future newsletters.
Join the MWMO’s Citizen Advisory Committee
 MWMO citizen advisors at a meeting in 2018.
Do you care about keeping lakes and rivers clean? Enjoy working with other environmentally conscious residents and want make a difference? We are currently seeking to fill several openings on our Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC).
Members of the CAC review grant applications and make recommendations on projects to reduce pollution and inspire others to help keep waterbodies clean within the MWMO watershed. They also have opportunities to provide feedback on organizational strategy and review the MWMO’s annual budget.
CAC members typically meet three times per year to provide input on potential projects and offer feedback on MWMO initiatives. Find out more and learn how to apply on our website.
Upcoming Grant Application Deadlines
Photo of the Month
 MINNEAPOLIS — Sun dogs and halos appear over the Mississippi River on a cold morning, Jan. 24, 2023. These atmospheric optical illusions are caused by the refraction of sunlight through ice crystals in the air. MWMO staff spotted them and snapped several photos from the Lowry Avenue Bridge. U.S. National Park Service staff shared an excellent explanation of the phenomenon on Facebook.
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