Shell Rock River Watershed District

10/19/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1E4hz8KevK/

10/15/2026

An early edition of the Watershed Weekly e-newsletter is available. Check it out here: https://www.shellrock.org/news

10/14/2026

🎉 Congratulations to our 2026 Business of the Year nominees!

The Albert Lea–Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce is excited to recognize the outstanding businesses and organizations that help make Freeborn County a great place to live, work, and do business!

Join us at our Annual Meeting on October 27 as we celebrate this year's nominees, announce the Small, Medium, and Large Business of the Year winners, and reflect on another year of strengthening our business community.

📅 Tuesday, October 27 | 6–8 PM
📍 Wedgewood Cove, Albert Lea
🎟️ Tickets are available now! $75 per person

Come celebrate the businesses, people, and partnerships that make Freeborn County thrive!

👉 Register today through the link in our bio.

Small Business
- Albert Lea Family YMCA
- Moose Lodge 1703---Chapter 1364---Albert Lea,Minnesota
- Alerus Bank – Albert Lea
- Ignite Nutrition
- Leland Realty
- North Bridge Auto Plaza
- Shell Rock River Watershed District

Medium Business
- Albert Lea Bus Company
- Arcadian Bank
- Good Steward Consulting
- Knutson Place Assisted Living
- Kwik Trip

Large Business
- Cargill Albert Lea
- Independent Management Services
- Larson Manufacturing
- Oak Park Place Albert Lea

10/13/2026

10/12/2026

Board meeting: Tomorrow, October 13, 2026, at 8:30 AM. The public is encouraged to attend! To view the agenda, visit https://www.shellrock.org/board-meeting

10/08/2026

Today, SRRWD staff rolled up their sleeves and tackled some much-needed fall clean-up around the office! One of our biggest projects was giving our rain garden a little TLC. It had gotten a bit out of hand over the growing season, so we spent some time cutting back vegetation, clearing things out, and getting it back into shape. It was a great day to get outside, work together, and check a few things off the fall to-do list!

10/06/2026

What started as a quick stop to photograph the dredge in the Brookside Circle neighborhood turned into a memorable visit! I knocked on Pete Rush’s door, and he graciously invited me onto his deck, where I had a perfect view of the dredging operations on Bancroft Bay. We spent some time talking about the project, the neighborhood, and a few life stories along the way. Pete shared that the sound of the dredge is “music to his ears” — a great reminder of how meaningful this work can be to the people who are directly impacted by it. I’m grateful for Pete’s hospitality, his perspective, and the opportunity to connect with a community member who is seeing the project firsthand. And as a bonus, Pete’s home is currently for sale — complete with an incredible view of Bancroft Bay!

09/21/2026

Adopt a Drain Storm Water Awareness Week is September 21–25! Kick off day 1 with a quick read for kids! Drainy Days: An Adopt-a-Drain Book. A fun, beautifully illustrated story that helps kids understand how storm drains connect to our waterways — and how small actions can make a big difference. Great for families and classrooms!https://waterstothesea.org/DrainyDaysBook/Drainy-Days-Book.pdf

09/05/2026

The Albert Lea–Freeborn County Chamber Ambassadors recently got a b...

09/03/2026

Yesterday, the SRRWD hosted the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Fountain Lake Restoration Project!

Hydraulic dredging removes phosphorus-rich sediment from the lake bottom, helping reduce the potential for phosphorus to be released back into the water. The dredged material is then pumped through miles of pipe to the CDF, where the sediment settles and the water is ultimately returned to the lake system.

And this is a BIG operation! 👇

💧 4+ million gallons of dredge slurry pumped per day
〰️ 13,000 feet of pipe
🏗️ About 200 cubic yards removed per hour
🚜 2,400–4,000 cubic yards removed per day
🌊 190,000 cubic yards removed so far this phase
⏱️ 20–45 minutes for material to travel from the hydraulic dredge suction to its final output at the Confined Disposal Facility.
🏠The CDF itself spans more than 100 acres across three engineered cells

Thanks to the Chamber Ambassadors for coming out to see the project in action!