What Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District does

Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District (RWMWD) is a local government watershed district established in 1955 under the Minnesota Watershed District Act, operating across eastern Ramsey County and western Washington County in the Twin Cities metro area. The district manages water resources within fixed geographic watershed boundaries that supersede political jurisdictions, with authority exercised through a five-member Board of Managers appointed by county commissioners. Its core service portfolio includes water quality monitoring across lakes, streams, wetlands, and groundwater; stormwater management and MS4 compliance; permitting for development, homeowner projects, and wetland regulation; K-12 school education programs; stewardship grants funding rain gardens and permeable pavement; habitat restoration; and an invasive carp management program. The district's technology foundation is built on in-house GIS datasets integrated with NOAA Atlas 14 precipitation frequency data, supporting flood risk assessment and a public Watershed Data Portal.

The district is funded primarily through property taxes levied on residents and businesses within its boundaries, supplemented by state grants including the Clean Water Land & Legacy Amendment and Conservation Partners Legacy grants. RWMWD distributes services directly to constituents via its Little Canada headquarters, field operations, and a broad partner ecosystem that includes Freshwater Society, Master Water Stewards, Ramsey and Washington County Master Gardeners (60+ volunteers), Maplewood Nature Center, VLAWMO, Metro Blooms, Barr Engineering, Minnesota DNR, 18+ K-12 schools, nine churches, and multiple municipalities. Programs are delivered through permits, cost-share grants, educational field trips, volunteer certification (Master Water Stewards), recognition awards (LEAP), and direct habitat restoration projects at sites including Keller Lake, Phalen Chain of Lakes, Snail Lake, and Woodbury Elementary.

Quantifiable outcomes include over 60% reduction in carp density in the Phalen Chain of Lakes, 4 million gallons of annual runoff captured through Metro Blooms Blooming Alleys projects, 4,000 pounds of sediment captured annually, and 98 LEAP-recognized landscaping sites since 2002. Currently, the district is executing a 2027-2036 Management Plan Update and has invested in organizational capacity by creating a new communications coordinator role.

Name

Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District

Legal name

Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District

Website

https://rwmwd.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District is a Minnesota local government unit managing water resources across eastern Ramsey and western Washington Counties, delivering water quality monitoring, stormwater management, permitting, restoration, and education programs funded by property taxes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Watershed Management Services

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG), Stormwater Management & MS4 Compliance Services (BPALAMAL), Detention, Retention & Storage Systems (Ponds, Tanks, Vaults) (EUANAEAD)

Keywords

• Watershed management
• Stormwater management
• Water quality monitoring
• Habitat restoration
• Wetland regulation

Headquarters

HQ city

Minnesota City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Funding: As a local government unit (watershed district) established by the Minnesota Watershed District Act of 1955, the district is primarily funded through property taxes from residents and businesses within its boundaries in eastern Ramsey County and western Washington County, Minnesota.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District is a local government unit that manages water resources in eastern Ramsey County and western Washington County, Minnesota. It delivers water quality monitoring, stormwater pollution prevention, permitting for development and wetland activities, stewardship grants, habitat restoration projects, and K-12 education programs. The district operates under regulatory authority granted by the Minnesota Watershed District Act of 1955 and serves residents, schools, municipalities, and property owners within its watershed boundaries.

Product overview

Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District is a local government unit that offers a portfolio of water resource management services organized around core programs: water quality monitoring and assessment, stormwater pollution prevention (SWPPP/MS4 compliance), permitting for development and wetlands, K-12 school education programs, stewardship grant funding for best management practices, and ecological restoration projects including carp management and habitat restoration. These programs work together to preserve and improve water resources in eastern Ramsey County and western Washington County, Minnesota.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Quality Monitoring Services Monitoring and assessment of water quality in lakes, streams, wetlands, and groundwater across the watershed district. Provides data on pollution, nutrient levels, and ecosystem health to inform district decisions and public reporting.
• Stormwater Management Program Management of stormwater pollution prevention, MS4 compliance, and stormwater infrastructure to reduce runoff contamination throughout the watershed district.
• Permitting Services Review and issuance of permits for development, homeowner projects, wetland regulation, and stormwater facilities within the district boundaries.
• K-12 School Education Programs Customized lesson plans and field trip programs connecting K-12 students to watershed projects, water quality education, and habitat restoration activities across schools in the district.
• Stewardship Grants Program Financial assistance for residents and organizations implementing stormwater best management practices including rain gardens, permeable pavement, shoreline restorations, and smart salting. Grants cover 50-100% of eligible project costs.
• Landscape Ecology Awards Program (LEAP) Recognition program celebrating property owners who use sustainable landscaping practices benefiting water quality and wildlife habitat, awarding 98 sites since 2002 including private residences, schools, businesses, churches, and public properties.
• Carp Management Program Population assessment and removal of invasive common carp to improve water quality and restore aquatic habitat in the Phalen Chain and Lake Owasso lake systems, reducing carp density by over 60 percent over five years.
• Habitat Restoration Projects Ecological restoration of lakes, wetlands, shorelines, and natural areas including invasive species removal and native plant reintroduction across multiple sites including Keller Regional Park and Snail Lake parkland.
• Watershed Data Portal Access to water quality data, watershed maps, and monitoring information for the district's waters, supported by in-house GIS datasets.

Quantifiable outcome

• Carp density reduced by over 60% in Phalen Chain of Lakes
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers26 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Freshwater SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Master Water Stewards certification program. The Freshwater Society co-developed the program with participating cities, watershed districts, and non-profits. RWMWD has 16 certified Minnesota Water Stewards doing education and stewardship work in the watershed.
• Carp Solutions, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted carp population assessment via electrofishing, marked over 200 carp with fin clips for mark-and-recapture study, surgically implanted radio transmitters in 20 adult carp to track seasonal movements, and installed low-voltage electric fish barrier at West Vadnais Lake outlet.
• Vadnais Lakes Area Water Management Organization (VLAWMO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with RWMWD and Carp Solutions, Inc. to install electric fish barrier at West Vadnais Lake outlet for carp management.
• Minnesota DNRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAwarded $252,000 Conservation Partners Legacy Grant to restore 60 acres of degraded forest and about 4 acres of wetland buffer at Snail Lake parkland.
• Ramsey CountycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership for Snail Lake parkland restoration. County staff head upland forest restoration while district staff lead wetland buffer restoration. Partnership on drainage optimization projects near Grass Lake and Snail Lake.
• Ramsey County Master GardenerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOver 60 Master Gardener volunteers have worked on watershed projects since 2005 including school habitat restorations, rain garden installations, shoreline restorations, and community education. Key coordinators include Ed Shinbach, Rochelle Robideau, and Jamie Aussendorf.
• Washington County Master GardenerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVolunteers including Anna Barker, Jody Koster, Carmen Johnson, Lisa Moran and Laura Opsahl assisted with Woodbury Elementary rain garden installation involving 564 students.
• Washington Conservation DistrictcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStaff including Angie Hong and Lauren Haydon assisted with school rain garden projects and Woodbury Elementary plantings.
• Maplewood Nature CentercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner in school retrofit BMPs project with naturalists assisting students with field activities and rain garden education.
• Metro BloomscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPresented on Blooming Alleys for Clean Water program which installed rain gardens, permeable pavement systems, and native plantings in 22 alleys, capturing an estimated 4 million gallons of runoff and 4,000 pounds of sediment annually.
• Barr EngineeringcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerResponsible for design and project management of Clean Water Legacy-funded school rain garden projects including Central Park Elementary, Roseville Area Middle School, and Woodbury Elementary.
• Capitol Region Watershed DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-participant with RWMWD and Rice Creek Watershed District in Master Water Stewards training cohort.
• Rice Creek Watershed DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-participant with RWMWD and Capitol Region Watershed District in Master Water Stewards training cohort.
• City of WoodburycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCo-hosted Tamarack Nature Preserve tour with RWMWD. City park staff built temporary boardwalk for trail access and provided environmental resources support.
• Cities throughout watershedcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVarious cities within the watershed including Shoreview, Roseville, Maplewood, North St. Paul, Woodbury, and White Bear Lake participate in LEAP awards, Master Water Stewards program, and various watershed projects.
• School Districts 622 and 833coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSchool districts that approved and partnered on rain garden installations at multiple schools including Maplewood Middle School, Weaver Elementary, Harmony Learning Center, and Woodbury Elementary.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Barr Engineering: Engineering consulting firm providing design and project management for RWMWD's Clean Water Legacy-funded rain garden projects; functions as a key implementation vendor for district capital projects.
• Metro Blooms: Non-profit implementing partner delivering the Blooming Alleys program within RWMWD's territory; captures measurable runoff and sediment outcomes that the district uses in grant reporting and outreach.

Emerging players

• Freshwater Society: Non-profit partner that co-developed the Master Water Stewards certification program with RWMWD and other watershed districts; serves as an ecosystem enabler for community-based water stewardship.

Direct peers

• Rice Creek Watershed District: Minnesota watershed district operating under the same statutory framework; co-participates in Master Water Stewards cohort with RWMWD and offers directly comparable water quality, stormwater management, and education programs.
• Washington Conservation District: County-level conservation partner that assists RWMWD on school rain garden plantings and BMP implementation; offers closely aligned soil/water conservation and education services within Washington County.
• Capitol Region Watershed District: Adjacent Minnesota watershed district established under the same 1955 act; co-participates with RWMWD in Master Water Stewards training and operates the same stormwater, permitting, and education service model in the eastern Twin Cities metro.
• South Washington Watershed District: Neighboring Minnesota watershed district under the same statutory authority; provides the same portfolio of stormwater permitting, water quality monitoring, and habitat restoration services in southern Washington County.
• Vadnais Lakes Area Water Management Organization (VLAWMO): Local water management organization directly collaborating with RWMWD on carp management at West Vadnais Lake outlet; serves an overlapping geography with comparable lake and stormwater management mandates.

Broad incumbents

• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency: State regulatory agency overseeing MS4 stormwater, water quality, and wetland rules that drive much of RWMWD's compliance workload; sets the policy framework within which the district operates.
• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: State-level agency that administers the Conservation Partners Legacy Grant program funding RWMWD restoration projects; operates a much broader regulatory and conservation mandate that overlaps with watershed district responsibilities statewide.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/RWMWD
• Facebookfacebook.com/RWMWD
• Instagraminstagram.com/rwmwd
• Xx.com/RWMWD

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District