Natural Shoreline Awards
Recognizing natural beauty and healthy waters in the Twin Cities east metro and Lower St. Croix watershed
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, Isanti, Ramsey or Washington Counties.
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
*Note that there may be up to four winners in each category (one in each county)
2025 Program Timeline:
July 1 – August 7: Call for nominations
August 7 – 31: Program judges will tour and evaluate shorelines
September 9: Award recipients are announced
Requirements:
Award-winning properties must be located in Chisago, Isanti, Ramsey or Washington Counties and 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.
Awards:
Winners in each category will receive a beautiful, custom-designed metal garden sign and formal recognition by their county and/or watershed management organization.
Winning shorelines will also be featured in articles submitted to local newspapers and published online at eastmetrowater.org, as well as in photos and videos shared online at @mnnature_awesomeness.
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: 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