Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District

09/03/2026

Join the battle to keep stormdrains clean in The 'Grate' Drain Race! From now through November, adopt a drain and clear the debris often to be entered to win a raffle prize. Two watersheds going head to head, who will win?
Adopt-a-Drain MN

09/02/2026

ACHOO! Allergy season is returning!

The bright yellow flowers might draw your attention, but it is a common misconception that goldenrod causes seasonal allergies. Goldenrod plants are keystone species that help to support our local ecosystems, particularly migrating pollinators. Late-summer blooms are especially important before the long journeys these pollinators undertake. These plants even improve water quality with their long roots! Instead of shaming goldenrod, enjoy its' gorgeous blooms and add it to your garden.

If you're searching for a plant to blame, keep an eye out for ragweed! These plants release over a billion pollen grains in a season. Ragweed is also wind-pollinated, meaning that its' pollen is light and caught by the breeze, leading to more pollen reaching our noses.

09/01/2026

One month left to enter our photo contest! 📸

We want to see your best photographs from ALL seasons around our district. Photos can feature our lakes, streams, parks, wildlife, plants, recreation, or anything else outdoors that inspires you!

Winning photos will be featured in our 2027 wall calendar, with $50 for the winning cover photo and $20 for each of the 12 monthly featured images. Submissions are due September 30th, 2026 and will be judged by RPBCWD staff and our Citizen Advisory Committee.

Learn more and submit a photo at rpbcwd.org/photo-contest.

Photo by Yoko Yamasaki, Purgatory Creek

08/28/2026

Worried you missed the window to plant a new native garden this year? Don't fret - fall is actually a great time to plant! The cooler air temperatures are less stressful for new transplants, but the soil is still warm, creating ideal conditions for the plant to focus on root growth. This results in resilient plants that have a big head-start in the spring compared to if you wait until then to plant.

If you're an RPBCWD resident, you can still get up to $500 towards a fall native planting project with our mini-cost share program: rpbcwd.org/mini-cost-share 🍂

Fall might be Minnesota’s most underrated season for planting native perennials. While we think of gardening during spring, there are…

08/27/2026

Aquatic plants play an essential role in the health of a lake's ecosystem. They help reduce shoreline erosion, support aquatic life, maintain clean water, and more! Removing these plants in large quantities can have negative effects on water quality and lake health. Any removal of aquatic plants requires a permit from the DNR. Learn more about aquatic plants at rpbcwd.org/aquatic-plants.

08/18/2026

We look forward to welcoming Jessica Loftus to our Board of Managers! A resident of Deephaven, Loftus brings over 15 years of experience in city management, including terms as the City Administrator for the cities of Tonka Bay and Orono. Loftus' first meeting of her term on the RPBCWD board will be at the August regular meeting of the Board of Managers tonight at 7:00pm. Welcome, Manager Loftus!

Hennepin County has appointed Jessica Loftus to fill a seat on the Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District (RPBCWD) Board of Managers. Loftus…

08/14/2026

Thanks for highlighting our lakes, Eden Prairie Local News! We're proud of the work the district and our partners have done to improve the water quality of Riley, Rice Marsh and Hyland lakes.

Lake Riley, Rice Marsh Lake and Hyland Lake are poised to leave Minnesota’s impaired waters list after years of work to improve water quality.

08/13/2026

We want to hear about your Homeowners Association!

RPBCWD is developing an HOA Stormwater Management Education program! A workshop this fall will cover common stormwater best management practices, maintenance requirements, and the role HOAs can play in protecting clean water.

To help this program reach as many HOAs as we can, we are asking for submissions from you. Head to this link to tell us about your HOA and how we can reach you: https://www.rpbcwd.org/hoa-stormwater-management

08/11/2026

Here at the District, we know that good water quality is a community effort. This August is National Water Quality Month, and we want to highlight some of the ways that we can keep our water clean this month and all year long! Here are five ideas for actions you can take to promote good water quality.

💧𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐭. Using a 12-ounce mug of salt is enough salt for 250 square feet of pavement. Applying less salt means more money in your pocket and less pollution in our waterways.
💧𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬. With their long roots, native plants help more stormwater soak into the ground. This helps reduce flooding and the amount of nutrients going to our waterbodies.
💧𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐥. Rain barrels collect excess stormwater that can be reused for your lawn, garden, or indoor plants.
💧𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧. Water in storm drains flows directly to our waterways, along with any debris in it. Consider adopting a storm drain and, until November 30th, winning cool prizes doing it! Check out rpbcwd.org/the-grate-drain-race for more info.
💧𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐬𝐞. Excess nutrients from fertilizers get washed away during storm events. These nutrients promote algae blooms which can harm water quality. Limiting fertilizer use to only what you need can help prevent these blooms.