This program provides financial assistance for projects that protect and restore the lakes and streams. Common projects include rain gardens, shoreline restorations, native plantings, water retention and water reuse systems and more. 

This program is available to citizens and private businesses located within the Carver County Water Management Organization's boundaries.  Some areas of Carver County are located outside these boundaries and managed by other water management organizations such as Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District or Lower MN River Watershed District.

Possible projects include installation of rain gardens, shoreline restorations, prairie restorations, water reuse systems, and more.

The program will cover 75% of eligible costs up to a maximum reimbursement of $5000.  This is a competitive grant program, with the possibility of grant requests not obtaining funding. 

Applications are accepted year round for review and will be prioritized by the date the application was received.

Information packet & application

Contacts

Tim Sundby
Carver County Water Management Organization 
tsundby@carvercountymn.gov
952-361-1816

Seth Ristow
Carver County Soil & Water Conservation District
sristow@carvercountymn.gov
952-466-5264

Carver County offers well sealing cost share to qualified Carver County residents and or property owners to help seal unused wells. Unused wells, that are not properly sealed, pose a safety, health, and environmental threat to families and communities and a potential legal risk to the property owners. Such wells can act like a drain, allowing surface water runoff and pollutants, contaminated water, or improperly disposed waste a direct pathway into groundwater aquifers.

Well sealing program eligibility criteria  
Well sealing program application

Minnesota state law requires that wells posing such risks be sealed by a Minnesota Department of Health licensed contractor.

If you are unsure an abandoned well exists on your property, please contact us for assistance.

Contact

Tim Sundby
tsundby@carvercountymn.gov
952-361-1816 

The Carver Soil & Water Conservation District provides financial assistance to establish pollinator habitat across Carver County. Each year native and domesticated bees pollinate around 30% of crops in the United States with a value of approximately $23 billion. They also pollinate around 70 percent of flowering plants in the Midwest, playing a key role in their seed production. Native bee populations that include more than 4,000 species in North America have declined in recent years due to habitat loss and pesticides use among other factors. 

Projects include turning grass, fields, non-native gardens or other landscapes into viable pollinator habitat. 

Program information

Application

Contact 

Seth Ristow
Carver County Soil & Water Conservation District
sristow@carvercountymn.gov
952-466-5264

The shoreline habitat program seeks to help homeowners build healthy shorelines that preserve water quality in their lake. How a shoreline is managed directly affects the water quality, fisheries, and wildlife in the lake. 

Lake shorelines are a special habitat, where land and water meet, providing a rich and vital life zone for birds, pollinators, fish, frogs, and other animals. The shoreline is also a lake’s last line of defense against many pollutants. Pollutants washed off land with stormwater will flow toward the lake both across lawns and through soil. A healthy shoreline acts as a buffer, preventing pollutants from entering the lake. These programs encourage native flowers and grasses with deeper roots which allows them to trap water and nutrients within the soil.

Program information

Contact

Seth Ristow
Carver County Soil & Water Conservation District
sristow@carvercountymn.gov
952-466-5264