Chisago County Water Resources

08/26/2026

This weekend, watercraft inspectors from Chisago County and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will be stationed at public water accesses along the St. Croix River for the 2026 Decontamination Blitz. Inspectors will provide information about aquatic invasive species (AIS) and prevent the spread using hot water and high-pressure decontamination units.

We look forward to seeing you at Decon Blitz Weekend 2026 at the following locations and times:
August 28th: 8:00 AM-4:00 PM at Taylors Falls Municipal with Chisago County, 8:00 AM- 4:00 PM at St. Croix Crossing with MN DNR
August 29th: 8:00 AM- 4:00 PM at Osceola Landing with Chisago County
August 30th: 8:00 AM- 4:00 PM at St. Croix Boom Site Landing with MN DNR

For more information about watercraft decontamination and to find the nearest decontamination unit, visit https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/watercraft_inspect/courtesydecon.html

08/12/2026

County and Chisago Lakes Lake Improvement District staff update lake levels weekly. To view the latest lake levels, visit https://www.chisagocountymn.gov/347/Lake-Levels

Boat at your own risk:

We are aware of the low lake levels and the hazards they are presenting as some of our lakes are as much as 4 feet low. While we mark major obstructions, we can’t mark everything, so we urge all boaters to be aware of lake conditions and travel with care. Pay close attention to your depth finders and trim up!

08/10/2026

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is renovating the South Center Public Water Access Site. The site will be closed for 2.5 months beginning on August 17. Please contact the DNR at 651-296-6157 or [email protected] with any questions.

Send a message to learn more

08/03/2026

Did you know that Chisago County has a hot water and high pressure wash unit used specifically for preventing the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS)? Operated by Watercraft Inspectors, our decontamination unit travels around the busiest accesses in the county and is used to kill and remove AIS from watercraft.

Under certain conditions, an Inspector may require watercraft to be decontaminated before they launch or leave a waterbody. Our Inspectors will also perform courtesy decontaminations when watercraft users are interested but a decontamination is not required.

Where is the decontamination unit? See the attached schedule for the next couple of weeks, or visit https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/watercraft_inspect/courtesydecon.html for a map of nearby decontamination sites.

07/31/2026

The Lower St. Croix Watershed Partnership includes 15 local government partners in Anoka, Chisago, Isanti, Pine and Washington Counties who are working collaboratively to improve the St. Croix Rive…

07/29/2026

Come join us on August 8 for Starry Trek! Starry Trek is an annual, one-day event where the public meets at training sites across Minnesota to learn how to identify starry stonewort and other aquatic invasive species (AIS). After the training, participants head out to local water access points to look for signs of these AIS!
🗓️ Saturday, August 8 • 8:30 AM - 1 PM
📍Central Park, 6250 Main St, North Branch, MN 55056
🌟 Learn more and register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/starry-trek-2026-tickets-1992492051362?aff=oddtdtcreator&fbclid=IwY2xjawTW429leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF3TkpNVHhZbnlOUGxBbUZIc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHm_rxPk0wL9i_dt7DDnlyDVZB6J4CCC_JWX1C84TAfNJIZmHRwcoboLCKfib_aem_Nud-AqbMrYGa25IHkGA9LA

07/02/2026

Looking for a fun volunteer opportunity? Come join us on September 17th at the Chisago County Children's Water Festival!

Each year, approximately 650 students from Chisago County attend the festival. The Water Festival provides students with an innovative, quality, hands-on learning opportunity highlighting the interdependence of water to all living things. We're looking forward to exciting stations this year like The Secret Insides of Fish, Zebra Mussel Sniffing Dog, Remarkable River Mammals, and more!

This wouldn't be possible without our amazing volunteers. To express your interest, fill out this form https://www.chisagocountymn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/25342/2026-Volunteer-Sign-Up-Sheet-PDF?bidId= and return to [email protected]

06/29/2026

Curious about the water quality on your lake? Check out the 2025 Water Quality Monitoring Report!

Each year, staff and volunteers take samples from 33 sites once per month during the open water season. They collect data on water clarity, recreational suitability, and physical condition while grabbing water samples to test for total phosphorus, ammonia nitrogen, and chlorophyll-a.

We do this to monitor water quality trends and to see if our best management practices and water quality improvement projects are having a positive impact.

Check out the report here: https://www.chisagocountymn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/25337/2025-Chisago-County-Lake-Water-Quality-Monitoring-Report-PDF

The attached graph displays the monitored lakes from highest water quality on the left to lowest water quality on the right.

06/16/2026

Do you know an award-worthy shoreline in Chisago County?

The Natural Shoreline Award Program is now accepting nominations for lakeshore, riverfront, and streamside properties that help protect clean water and support wildlife habitat. Healthy shorelines aren't all-or-nothing. Whether a property features a native shoreline buffer, pollinator-friendly plantings, restored habitat, or a thoughtful blend of natural areas and traditional landscaping, we want to celebrate local stewardship.

Award categories include:
• Single-family residential
• Commercial and multi-family residential
• Publicly owned parks or public water accesses

Nominations are open now through July 5th.

Learn more and submit a nomination at: www.lsc1w1p.org/awards
Supported by the East Metro Water Resource Education Program and Lower St. Croix Watershed Partnership

06/08/2026

💧Coming up this Thursday, June 11th from 11am-4pm!! Stop by and have your well water tested for FREE at the North Branch Area Library. Everyone is welcome!

What’s in your drinking water? To participate in this free water screening clinic, bring water from your home tap (minimum of one cup - 8oz) in a clean, hard plastic or glass container and include the location and date that you collected the sample. We will run a screen test on your water for nitrate and chloride. You can wait for your results or request them via email.

During the clinic, experts will also be on hand to discuss wellhead protection and groundwater concerns, including arsenic, bacteria, pesticides, and Perfluorinated Alkylated Substances (PFAS). Stop by anytime to pick up fact sheets and talk with clinic volunteers. This clinic is free and open to everyone, regardless of what city, county or state they live in.