Lake Pledge is a program that asks shoreline owners and recreational users of Hennepin County lakes to take the pledge to help protect their lake from Aquatic Invasive Species. In 2025, Mitchell Lake took 3rd place across participating Hennepin County lake associations, securing $5,000 in grant funding to support their conservation projects, educational outreach, and water quality programs in 2026. Congratulations, Mitchell Lake Association!

Our 2026 Photo Contest is open! We're looking for photos of our watershed to feature in next year's 2027 calendar. We want to see your best photographs that feature our lakes, streams, parks, wildlife, plants, recreation, or anything else outdoors that inspires you. Photos must be taken within the boundaries of the Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District.

Our 2026 wall calendars are here! The calendar was populated with photos taken by community members of our water resources & natural scenes from around the District. A limited quantity of these wall calendars remain; stop by our District office to pick one up.

RPBCWD is currently operating an aeration system on Rice Marsh Lake until ice-off that will result in open water. Anyone on the lake should be aware of the danger of open water and thin ice around the aeration system. This aeration system is necessary to reduce winter fish kill in the lake.

STEM on Tap is a monthly workshop series that connects STEM teachers with practitioners, resources, and each other. Each workshop takes place at a brewery in the southwest metro and features a different STEM practitioner and topic. The next workshop is on Restoration Ecology on February 11th.

Want to start a clean water education campaign? Plant native flowers in your yard? Hold a community clean-up? Get up to $250 to help you make your project a reality. The catch? You can't do it alone! To get an Action Grant, find at least one other person outside your household to join your team. Want to install a free seed library? See if your neighbor has seeds to share. Those native plants? Invite friends over to help you plant them.

Winter is a great time to begin planning a spring planting project. Native plants come in many shapes, colors, and sizes, and there's a plant to fit just about any place. No matter your aesthetic preference, there's a wildflower, grass, sedge, shrub or tree that would be a perfect fit for your space! To help you plan, we've put together resources including native plant recommendations, native plant vendors, local native plant markets, and more.