The DNR has designated an area in the north and east portions of the metro region as the North & East Metro Groundwater Management Area (GWMA), which includes Washington and Ramsey counties, along with portions of Anoka and Hennepin counties. The Anoka County communities in this GWMA are Blaine, Centerville, Circle Pines, Columbia Heights, Columbus, Fridley, Hilltop, Lexington, Lino Lakes, and Spring Lake Park. The designation as a GWMA “allows a more comprehensive and focused approach to ensuring that groundwater supplies remain adequate to meet human needs, while protecting lakes, streams and wetlands”.

The DNR and an Advisory Team created a 5-year management plan in 2015 and continue to meet semi-annually to update each other on the various projects going on within the GWMA. The group last met on December 13, 2019 and discussed a variety of information, including:

• A recently launched study that will assess the feasibility of enhancing groundwater recharge
• An update on the White Bear Lake court case
• An update on the transient groundwater flow model developed for the White Bear Lake area
• An update on the 3M settlement project.

Click here to read the full update from the DNR. Previous updates from the DNR can be found here.

For more information on the GWMA, click here to view it’s website. The group will meet next in the Spring of 2020. Meetings are open to the public and an announcement will be posted on both the GWMA’s site and Know the Flow when the date, time, and location have been determined.