The Impact
In 2020, 159 Northeast Minneapolis residents adopted 260 storm drains and kept more than 2,750 pounds of debris from the Mississippi River.
About Us
The Northeast Storm Drain Challenge promotes the adoption of storm drains within Northeast Minneapolis in order to protect our valuable resource: the Mississippi River. Working with neighborhood associations, including its main sponsor, Audubon Neighborhood Association, the Challenge seeks to spread awareness of the role storm drains play in the health of the River.
Did you know that everything that lands on our sidewalks and streets enters a storm drain before ultimately landing in the Mississippi River? Besides the obvious trash, other things can be harmful to the river too. Leaves make great compost for our gardens, but those same nutrients cause our lakes and rivers to turn green and slimy. This effect, called eutrophication, can eventually lead to fish kills and dead zones. Sediments like the sand put on our roads over the winter can accumulate toxins which are then released when the sediment reaches the river. Sediment also adds additional stress on fish and aquatic life that are already at risk due to the effects of climate change.
By adopting a storm drain, you can do your part to keep the Mississippi River healthy for everyone that it supports…that includes us humans too!
Debris washed up along the bank
North Loop Park, Minneapolis
“There was a big difference in the neighborhoods participating in the Challenge. Northeast neighborhoods saw a 40% increase in adopted drains from April to November and other neighborhoods only saw a 14% increase.”
— Jenni Abere Center for Global Environmental Education at Hamline University
What We’ve Achieved
260 storm drains adopted in Northeast Minneapolis from May 1st to October 31st, 2020
Some Northeast neighborhoods, like Windom Park, saw over a 12% increase in storm drains adopted from the previous year.
160 Northeast neighbors adopted storm drains during the NE Storm Drain Challenge.
The Northeast community kept 2,750 pounds of waste from entering the Mississippi River during the Challenge in 2020.
The Numbers.
Since the adopt-a-drain program first came to Northeast Minneapolis, the number of storm drain adoptions has continued to grow.
How can you tell if a storm drain has been adopted? Look for the logo on the curb above the drain.
