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Ramsey County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan, 2018
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<br />Section 3 – Ramsey County Profile
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<br />This section offers a general overview of Ramsey County to provide a basic understanding of the
<br />characteristics of the community, such as the physical environment, population, and the location and
<br />distribution of services.
<br />3.1 General County Description
<br />Ramsey County is in east central Minnesota. It is at the center of the Seven-County Metro Area. Four
<br />counties surround Ramsey County: Hennepin to the west, Dakota to the south, Washington to the east,
<br />and Anoka to the north. Of the 87 counties in the state of Minnesota, Ramsey County is geographically
<br />the smallest but is the largest in population. Ramsey County covers 170 square miles, and the county’s
<br />estimated population in 2010 was 508,640. St. Paul is the county seat and the largest city in the county.
<br />The cities located in Ramsey County are Arden Hills, Blaine, Falcon Heights, Gem Lake, Lauderdale,
<br />Little Canada, Maplewood, Mounds View, New Brighton, North Oaks, North Saint Paul, Roseville, St.
<br />Anthony, St. Paul, Shoreview, Spring Lake Park, Vadnais Heights and White Bear Lake. White Bear
<br />Township is the only township in the county.
<br />Ramsey County is dominated by the education/health services industry, with 29% of jobs in the county.
<br />Professional/business services and trade/transportation/utilities are also major components of the
<br />county’s economy.
<br />Ramsey County has many historic structures, sites and districts throughout the county. They are
<br />sometimes targeted for hazard mitigation strategies due to their unique, often irreplaceable, social value
<br />or cultural significance. For a complete listing, see Appendix B: Ramsey County Critical Facilities.
<br />3.2 Environmental Characteristics
<br />Ramsey County is primarily urban and developed. According to the Ramsey County Comprehensive
<br />Plan, only 8.3% of the county remains undeveloped, with land use primarily consisting of recreational,
<br />transportation, residential, multi-residential, commercial, industrial and mixed use.
<br />3.3 Hydrography
<br />Ramsey County contains approximately 18 square miles of surface water, or approximately 10% of the
<br />county’s total area.
<br />Impaired waters are an increasing problem as Ramsey County has many lakes, creeks and rivers that are
<br />on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Impaired Waters lists, including the Mississippi River, Rice
<br />Creek, Lambert Creek, Lake Owasso, Lake Johanna, Gervais Lake, East Vadnais Lake, Pleasant Lake,
<br />Turtle Lake, Goose Lake, White Bear Lake, Gilfillan Lake, Sucker Lake, Snail Lake, Valentine Lake, Phalen
<br />Lake, Kohlman Lake, Como Lake, Bennet Lake, Lake Josephine, among others (Minnesota Pollution
<br />Control Agency, 2018). Impaired waters have become a priority issue because they do not meet state
<br />water quality standards, they affect growth and health of communities and economies, and the Clean
<br />Water Act has a mandate requiring every state to address impairments. Impairments found in Ramsey
<br />County waters include fecal coliform, nutrient/eutrophication biological indicators, mercury in fish
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