Landscaping? Cash Grants Available for Edina Homeowners

The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District has kicked off a new program for area residents that could cover—with cash—up to half of the cost of many home landscape projects.

Polluted stormwater runoff is among the biggest water quality problems in the state of Minnesota. The hope is that this program will encourage local homeowners to implement green initiatives in their homes’ landscapes, ultimately protecting local water resources like Lake Minnetonka and Minnehaha Creek.

“There is a real need to capture this runoff before it pollutes our valuable natural resources,” said Aldis Kurmis, the district's cost share specialist. “We’re hoping these new grants will be an incentive for people to take action right in their own backyard.”

In a natural environment, most rainwater soaks into the ground or is captured by trees or other plants. But in developed areas, rainwater runs off roads, parking lots and rooftops, carrying dirt, fertilizer, pesticides and other harmful material into lakes, streams and wetlands. 

The district says the poor water quality resulting from stormwater runoff directly impacts "recreation, fish and wildlife, and reduces property values near affected lakes and streams."

Grant-eligible home improvement projects that prevent this runoff from occurring include raingardens, which filter stormwater, and pervious sidewalk and driveway pavement, which allows rain to pass through the material to a drainage system below. Cash grants from this new program would pay up to 50 percent of the cost for these kinds of projects—capping at $2,500 maximum per project. 

“It’s going to benefit everyone,” MCWD Communications Director Telly Mamayek said. “You don’t necessarily have to live on Lake Minnetonka or Minnehaha Creek.”

But for area residents who do live on shoreline, the district wants them to consider installing native plant borders along streambanks and shorelines. Native plant roots filter and absorb polluted runoff, prevent erosion by anchoring the soil, beautify the shoreline and their natural height and density also discourage geese. Under this grant program, the district would pay up to 50 percent of the cost for planting native species along Minnehaha Creek or Lake Minnetonka—capping at $5,000 maximum per project. 

“There are several options people can take to enhance their property and help the environment at the same time,” Kurmis said.

The total grant money available to locals under the Watershed District’s Stormwater BMP and Shoreline/Streambank Stabilization Cost Share program is about $265,000. Edina falls within the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District—a geographic area encompassing 181 square miles, including Minnehaha Creek, Lake Minnetonka, the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes and Minnehaha Falls. The organization is funded by local taxpayers.  

For more information on Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) and the Shoreline/Streambank Stabilization Cost Share program, contact Aldis Kurmis at 952-641 4523 or akurmis@minnehahacreek.org.