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PROMOTE QUALITY SURFACE WATER Ecosystems associated with watershed projects and programs are managed to Lake Phalen is a 200-acre achieve the characteristics of healthy urban ecosystems. urban-residential lake located L in St. Paul. As one of the most popular parks in the Twin Cities, The RWMWD's integrated approach to resource management incorporates the lake receives approximately preservation and restoration of aquatic, wetland, and associated upland habitats into half-a-million visitors annually. flood control and water quality protection efforts. As a result, the District has created Patrons use bike and walking trails that encircle the lake and and restored natural habitats when implementing capital improvement projects its public swimming beach, the ~ and initiated several independent ecological restoration projects. The District is only one in St. Paul. Fishing is committed to maintainlllg these sites over the long term. The locations of many of also popular. the RWMWD ecological restoration projects are depicted in Figure 2 (page 6). In 2001, the District and several partners began a 5-year The District also protects natural resources through implementation of a ecological restoration project permitting program. The RWMWD is responsible for administering the Wetland to repair large sections of the Conservation Act (WCA) in all cities within the District, except for in St. Paul lake's shoreland. Diverse native and on MN Department of Transportation projects. The WCA and the RWMWD plant communities have been permitting programs limit alterations to wetlands within the District and require introduced to reduce shoreland erosion, increase the quality of measures to protect wetlands and associated ecosystems. fish and wildlife habitat, and The RWMWD has implemented several projects to collect data to characterize improve the aesthetic value of the park. This project is one of the current condition of ecosystems throughout the District, including the 2003- the targest shoreland restoration 2005 Wetland Inventory, Assessment, and Classification; wetlands biological projects in the Midwest. monitoring; and aquatic plant monitoring in lake systems. Data collected ~ '- - through these programs are used to assess ecosystem health, track changes in ~~~,L~ environmental conditions, and help identify ongoing management tasks. In addition, wetland data has been used in conjunction with RWMWD wetland _ ~ ;,, ~ ~ buffer protection policies and city permitting to protect wetland habitat. ~`~' ±~~ i `, ' In undertaking many projects, the RWMWD has developed successful ~ ~ ~ partnerships with multiple stakeholders. The District formed an advisory y ~` ~' ~'~ `" ~ commission to provide advice and to support activities associated with natuual Before: In some segments, bank resources projects. The commission administers the Landscape Ecology Awards slumping resulted in pieces of the pedestrian and bike Program (LEAP) which awards landowners for using best land management pathways falling into the lake. practices. The RWMWD has coordinated with university researchers to r.. investigate the control of invasive reed canary grass and has partnered on a study to evaluate metro-area lakeshore restoration projects. from 1998-2005, the _, natural resources program has secured over X450,000 in grant funds to conduct •,~~ ecological restoration and research projects. `~ .- ,. - i . Healthy water-related ecosystems are defined by more than water quality; they - are also defined by the characteristics of the plants and animals in and near bodies .After: Prairie and wetland of water. As urban development and redevelopment continues in the RWMWD, it wildflowers have become well esrahlished arut are succeeding is a challenge to preserve and restore natural resources, protect the ecosystems fiom ,f, stabill~i~Zg the shoreline. further damage, and minimize the impact ofdevelopment-related stressors. PdP~2 / Ramsey-Washington Metro~_ District