A Special Places Tour

Wildflowers, green roofs, and hope for the future. If these things sound good to you, sign up now for this tour.

The Empire Wastewater Treatment Plant is located adjacent to the Vermillion River, a designated trout stream. As part of a major plant expansion in 2006-7, The Metropolitan Council designed the plant’s stormwater management practices to both protect the river and trout habitat as well as to serve as demonstrations of innovative stormwater management. Examples of this innovation include a green roof, two large infiltration basins with native plantings, a native plant garden, permeable pavers, and vegetated drainage swales.

In 2001 FMR developed an ecological management plan for the land surrounding the treatment plant, owned and operated by the Metropolitan Council. As part of this plan, a 50-acre wet meadow was restored in 2003. The site (formerly a monotypic cropland) now has a great diversity and abundance of native plants, with over 50 species of wildflowers, grasses and sedges. With the plant diversity has come a diversity of animals. Where once only a handful of bird species could be found in the soybean or cornfields, over 55 species have been recorded in the last two years.

Join Friends of the Mississippi River and the Metropolitan Council for a tour of both the Empire Wastewater Treatment Plant and the neighboring restored wet meadow.

Pre-registration is required for this limited capacity event. To register, contact Volunteer Coordinator sue rich through our contact form or at 651-222-2193 x1. Please include your name, the number in your party, contact information and the name of the event. Due to security concerns, please also include your date of birth. Registrants will receive confirmation emails on Wednesday July 30 and Thursday July 31. Meeting location and additional information will be sent by end of day Thursday, July 31st.

This event is also part of the Vermillion Stewards program, volunteers participating in hands-on stewardship and educational programs throughout the unique Vermillion River watershed. Read more…