Our Mission

To protect, manage and improve the water resources of Capitol Region Watershed District and Mississippi River.

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Capitol Region Watershed District (CRWD) originated from a small group of dedicated residents who wanted to protect Como Lake and the Mississippi River. Our work is about connections between land, water, and the people who live here.

  • 2000

    people help improve our water quality

  • 2435

    completed clean water projects to date

  • 402

    million gallons of stormwater runoff treated annually

Learn how CRWD is making diversity and inclusion a priority and what’s ahead.

See CRWD's Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

CRWD has completed its 2021 – 2030 Watershed Management Plan.

Learn more about the Watershed Management Plan

Capitol Region Watershed District

The Mississippi River is the natural life force of the capitol region and the very reason why human settlement exists here. Protecting the river and its ecology must be a shared priority; our quality of life depends upon it.

Dozens of water resources drain to the river basin, carrying runoff from densely-populated residential, commercial and industrial neighborhoods. Polluted stormwater upsets the balance of water systems. This weakens water quality and contaminates the water that flows into our lakes, rivers and streams. Poor water quality can impact everything from property values to public health.

Established in 1998, Capitol Region Watershed District (CRWD) protects and improves water quality in the capitol region of Minnesota, including portions of the cities of Saint Paul, Falcon Heights, Maplewood, Roseville and Lauderdale. We preserve the connections between land, water and people, in order to conserve the wetlands, creeks and lakes that drain to the Mississippi River.

More than 20 years later, CRWD is still using new methods and partnering with governmental and community organizations as well as residents to solve the region’s water quality challenges. Together, we are conserving our shared water resources for the future.

About CRWD and Map