Natural Shoreline Award Program
Recognizing natural beauty and healthy waters in the Twin Cities east metro and Lower St. Croix watershed
2026 Nominations Open June 1st!
About the program
The Natural Shoreline Award Program recognizes beautiful lakeshore, riverfront and streamside properties that incorporate native flowers, shrubs, trees and plants. Award-winning properties can be located in Chisago, Ramsey, Washington Counties as well as portions of Anoka, Pine, and Isanti Counties that are within the Lower St. Croix Watershed.
Recent research by the Natural Shorelines Partnership finds that Minnesota has lost 40-50% of its natural shorelines over the past 100 years, and continues to lose shoreline habitat at a rate of 1-2% per decade. As a result, we are seeing less diversity in wildlife, less aquatic invertebrates, and fewer, smaller fish, even in lakes and rivers with relatively good water quality.
The goal of the Natural Shoreline Award Program is to recognize Minnesotans who are stewarding their lakeshore, riverfront and streamside properties by maintaining existing upland, shoreline and aquatic habitat or replacing rock rip-rap, turf grass, and retaining walls with native flowers, shrubs, trees and plants.
Program Categories
2026 Program Timeline:
June 1 – July 5th: Call for nominations
July 2026: Program judges will tour and evaluate shorelines
August 7th: Award recipients are announced.
Requirements:
Award-winning properties must be located in Chisago, Ramsey or Washington Counties or portions of Anoka, Pine, and Isanti counties that are within the Lower St. Croix watershed. The properties must be in compliance with all state and local shoreline rules. Shoreline properties should feature native habitat in upland, shoreline and aquatic zones, including native flowers, grasses, trees, shrubs, and aquatic/emergent plants.
Shoreline landscape design that balances recreational wants with lake health needs. Drawn by Fred Rozumalski.
Awards:
Winners in each category will receive formal recognition by their county and/or watershed management organization and where applicable, a beautiful, custom-designed metal garden sign.
Winning shorelines will also be featured in articles submitted to local newspapers and published online on local blogs and video channels.
Program sponsors:
The Natural Shoreline Award Program is co-sponsored by the East Metro Water Education Program (EMWREP) and Lower St. Croix Watershed Partnership.
Participating local government partners include: Anoka Conservation District, Brown’s Creek, Carnelian Marine - St. Croix, Middle St. Croix, Ramsey -Washington Metro, Rice Creek, South Washington and Valley Branch Watersheds; Afton, Bayport, Cottage Grove, Dellwood, Forest Lake, Grant, Lake Elmo, Hugo, Newport, Oak Park Heights, Oakdale, Stillwater, St. Paul Park, Willernie, West Lakeland, and Woodbury; Chisago, Isanti and Washington Counties; and the Chisago, Isanti and Washington Conservation Districts.
For questions, contact:
Angie Hong (EMWREP): angie.hong@mnwcd.org or 651-796-2210
Barbara Heitkamp (Lower St. Croix): bheitkamp@mnwcd.org or 651-796-2218
Meet our 2025 Natural Shoreline Award Winners!
Single-family residential
Jane and Joe Lendway on Big Carnelian Lake (Carnelian-Marine-St. Croix Watershed, Washington Co)
Jean and John Schreckeis on Keewahtin Lake (Comfort Lake - Forest Lake Watershed, Washington Co)
Kim Ury wetland buffer in Oakdale (Valley Branch Watershed, Washington Co)
Publicly owned park or public water access
Irving & John Anderson County Park (Isanti Co)