Join us for this popular tour of the beautiful — and powerful — raingardens near Como Lake in St. Paul. Popular with butterflies, birds and neighbors alike, these raingardens improve the water quality of nearby Como Lake and have also significantly reduced neighborhood flooding.

The raingardens are part of the award-winnning Arlington Pascal Stormwater Improvement Project. Led by Capitol Region Watershed District (CRWD) and the City of Saint Paul Public Works Department, this six-year, community-wide endeavor earned a 2010 Minnesota Environmental Initiative award. In addition to exceeding its water-quality goals — reducing phosphorus loading in the lake 77 pounds per year — and successfully reduce neighborhood flooding, but it brought together residents and agencies alike throughout the process and provides a neighborhood amenity that will serve to educate and inspire others for years to come.

During the tour, participants will also learn about CRWD resources to help watershed residents to create their own raingardens or install their own rain barrels, from free technician visits for site planning to cost-sharing programs and stewardship grants.

Led by staff from Capitol Region Watershed District (CRWD) and Ramsey Conservation District, and hosted by Friends of the Mississippi River, this tour involves walking on paved park trails and sidewalks for approximately 2 miles over a two-hour time period. The tour is free and open to all, but capacity is limited to maintain a quality experience. Pre-registration is required and early registration encouraged and appreciated. This webpage will be updated when the tour has reached capacity. (The meeting place will be emailed to registrants only.)

Sign up online at
http://www.fmr.org/participate/events/raingarden-tour-2012-08-22

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