Eagan News
As Mayor Mike Maguire said in his State of the City address in March, there’s nothing more essential to our collective health than the air
and water around us. Eagan’s sustainability initiative, launched in 2022, aims to help future generations enjoy the same high-quality natural environment we value today.
That’s why staff members in all departments, from public works to police to community development, have been working together to create Eagan’s vision for a sustainable future and to map out sustainable practices.
Residents Weigh In
In a recent community survey, hundreds of residents ranked their sustainability priorities. Most respondents are concerned about the impacts of our changing climate, like drought, severe weather, and higher energy costs. They also ranked reduced energy consumption and waste as “very important.”
We know from previous surveys that Eagan residents value our natural environment on par with public safety and the economy. The City of Eagan reflects these values by creating, investing in, and implementing programs, services, and policies that make Eagan the
green community our residents desire.
Additionally, Eagan is hiring a sustainability coordinator to help align our efforts and move our vision forward for a more sustainable future. Keep up to date and watch a video about our work so far at cityofeagan.com/green.
The recent snowstorm damaged trees throughout Eagan, and crews are working to clear and clean up our streets, parks, and trails.
What you need to know about tree cleanup:
- Boulevard trees: Trees within 10-12 feet from the curb are in the right-of-way and the City is responsible for removal, cleaning, and/or clearing the debris.
- Trees on private property: Residents are responsible for tree debris and removal on their private property. Please visit cityofeagan.com/tree-storm-damage for more information and resources.
- Trees on public property: The City is responsible for cleaning and clearing damaged trees in public spaces (streets, parks, right of way, trails). We thank you for your patience as we continue to clear them.
What you can do:
- Stay away from damaged or stressed trees. Large trees and branches under tension or that are damaged are extremely dangerous, so we ask that you stay safe by not approaching these trees.
- Please report streets and trails that are blocked at cityofeagan.com/request or by calling (651) 675-5300.
- Work with a licensed tree removal company to remove the tree and/or debris. cityofeagan.com/licensed-tree-contractors.
Also, as crews work to clean up the tree damage, some parks and trails may not be accessible.
Thanks for your patience!
In 2022, LeMay and Fitz were removed from Minnesota’s impaired waters list. Eagan has now had three lakes removed from the list (including Fish Lake in 2014), thanks to Department of Public Works restoration efforts.
“It’s wonderful to see this sort of result from the department’s targeted and intentional efforts,” says Jenna Olson, water resources manager. “I joined the City in 2022, and I’m impressed with their progress here.”
Both LeMay and Fitz lakes were added to the impaired waters list in 2014 because they didn’t meet state water quality standards for shallow lakes. Excessive nutrient content was their main problem.
Eagan's Approach to Restoration
At LeMay Lake, the City took early actions to counteract the effects of phosphorous. In 2021 Eagan installed infiltration chambers under the road at a nearby intersection. These chambers store stormwater runoff from the nearby industrial area, so it can soak into the ground. This reduces some of the phosphorus, trash, and other contamination flowing into the lake.
Meanwhile, the City did extensive maintenance and improvements on three stormwater ponds feeding Fitz Lake in 2015. Two years later, the City treated Fitz Lake with alum and installed two sand-filter systems upstream. These remove and filter nutrient pollution before it enters the lake.
“This approach really worked,” Olson says. “These successes are critical, and give us key data to support future projects in Eagan.”
Learn more about our sustainability initiative at cityofeagan.com/green
As a City, we place a high priority on our natural environment, just as residents do. While some local municipalities are joining in on No-Mow May, Eagan has a different approach to helping pollinators.
Our plan, which has been in place for more than a decade, centers on:
- planting native grasses and plants in parks and green spaces throughout the City,
- helping, promoting, or installing rain gardens in public, private, and even at City facilities,
- adding pollinator-friendly perennials and shrubs to our landscaping whenever we can,
- avoiding any chemicals that contain neonicotinoids.
Quick pro-pollinator tips for residents
- Raise the blade. Grass grows deeper and needs less maintenance when maintained around 3 inches tall.
- Plant native perennials and shrubs. Native plants require less maintenance, are hardy to the Minnesota climate!
- Keep it blooming. Choose plants for your garden with different bloom times so something is always flowering.
- Create safe spaces. Most of Minnesota’s native bee species are ground-nesters, preferring loose, undisturbed soil or otherwise bare patches of ground. Leave a patch of bare soil, or top-dress areas with leaf mulch or compost instead of wood chips
- Don’t panic, It’s organic! Manage invasive and aggressive weeds but use herbicides and pesticides as sparingly as possible. If you find a nuisance beehive, don’t spray it! There are lots of local resources who will relocate honeybee colonies for free.
To Help Pollinators, Eagan Focuses on Native Plantings and Education
The city places a high priority on our natural environment, just as residents do. While some surrounding communities are joining in on No-Mow May, Eagan has a different approach to helping pollinators.
No Mow May calls for leaving lawns unmown in the month of May. However, Eagan Water Resources Manager Jenna Olson says this plan might not be the right fit for our community.
The No Mow May campaign began in the United Kingdom, where the bee and plant species — and climate — differ from ours. “A lot of the plants that come up here in the United States are dandelions and invasive weeds,” Olson says. “These are kind of like junk food for bees.” In other words, No Mow May offers an excuse to skip mowing your lawn, but it might not really help pollinators.
About a quarter of the bees in Minnesota specialize in feeding on specific types of native plants, Olson says. These bees aren’t interested in dandelions and other nonnative flowers.
What does Eagan do instead of No Mow May?
Eagan’s plan, which has been in place for more than a decade, centers on:
- planting native grasses and plants in parks and green spaces throughout the City,
- helping, promoting, or installing rain gardens in public, private, and even at City facilities,
- adding pollinator-friendly perennials and shrubs to our landscaping whenever we can,
- avoiding any chemicals that contain neonicotinoids
Education is also a big part of Eagan’s approach. The City supports several free classes for residents to learn more about native plants and plantings for their own properties. We also educate residents through social media campaigns and pamphlets to help people learn what they can do to protect and promote pollinator habitat.
Eagan focuses on promoting native plantings year-round. The rain gardens at City Hall and Cascade Bay are planted with native grasses and wildflowers, and the City is working on a code for new developments to ensure they use native plantings.
What can you do to help provide pollinator habitat?
Adam Schnaible is Eagan’s forestry maintenance supervisor, and part of his role is maintaining the city’s 26 acres of prairie. He also manages approximately 15 acres of perennial and annual gardens.
“There are a ton of simple things homeowners can do, like incorporating native and pollinator-friendly plants into their landscapes. Another thing is to use some maintenance techniques to help pollinators. While they don’t necessarily look neat and tidy, these are really helpful to pollinators. For example, you can leave woody perennial stems until the late spring rather than cleaning them up in the fall.”
People often remove everything and end up with bare ground, but this removes habitat for pollinators. Letting leaves accumulate provides insulation for nesting pollinators. Most pollination in Minnesota is done by solitary bees, which nest on or in the ground.
“Building a small brush pile or starting a small compost pile provides a good opportunity for nesting,” Schnaible says.
“Native plant material has a reputation of looking unkempt and weedy, and it is. But that's what these pollinators and insects want. It can be challenging to incorporate that into your manicured lawn space. But over time, you can overcome that perception.”
We know how much our community values our 60 parks, our community facilities, and our green spaces. In fact, nearly all residents rate our parks and recreation opportunities positively and as a top City priority. We work to reflect those values.
Each year we look at our Eagan park system plan to ensure that our parks serve everyone. Here are a few projects we’re investing in this year to keep our parks, buildings, and community vibrant in 2023 and beyond. Learn more at cityofeagan.com/parkprojects
2023 Eagan State of the City
Eagan Mayor Mike Maguire gave his annual State of the City address on Thursday, March 16, at the Eagan Community Center.
Mayor Maguire shared how our city and community have connected and reconnected in both tried and true and new ways coming out of the past few years. He also highlighted key elements of the state of our city including our local economy and new initiatives, policies, and practices that will help shape our collective future.
Where: Eagan Community Center, 1501 Central Pkwy., Eagan, MN 55121
When: Thursday, March 16, 2023 at 8:00 a.m.
Watch the video here: 2023 State of the City Address
Watch previous State of the City addresses
2022 State of the City
2021 State of the City
2020 State of the City
