 Park Ordinance Book
News
Park Developments
Natural Resources Information
Deer Management Program
Lake Aeration Public Notice

Natural Resources Information

Anoka County lies predominately within the Anoka Sandplain Geologic Region formed during the retreat of the last ice age nearly 10,000 years ago.  As a result of the retreating glaciers a large glacier lake was formed.  Over time this lake drained creating the Mississippi River Valley and leaving large sand deposits across much of the county.  Since the retreat of the glaciers and the draining of Lake Fridley, plant communities consisting of drought tolerant species colonized the area creating the oak savanna and prairie ecosystems that dominated Anoka County until settlement in the mid 1800’s.  Through growth, agriculture and development much of the native habitat within the county has been lost over the past two-hundred years resulting in fragmented high quality ecosystems within our current urban communities.

The Anoka County Parks Natural Resources Unit was created in December of 1996 as a result of multiple conservation issues and needs that were identified by a Citizen’s Task Force appointed by the County Board.  The initial key tasks outlined by the Citizen’s Task Force were to describe the county’s natural resources; identify issues, strategies and goals to begin managing those natural resources; study remaining high quality natural resources in the county; examine greenway connections; develop conservation partnerships; and initiate ecological restoration projects.  Since its inception, the unit has accomplished many of these initial goals and has evolved into an active management unit.  Following is a brief summary of some of the key accomplishments:

• Completed an open space study of the last remaining high quality natural areas and established priorities for protection.
• Implemented a two-phase greenway study of the Cedar Creek Greenway Corridor that has lead to land protection initiatives.
• Created a unique four-agency partnership at the Sandhill Crane Natural Area to collectively protect over 500 acres of some of the region’s last remaining quality habitat.
• Acquired over 1,500 acres of high quality habitat in the Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Regional Park Reserve.
• Began restoring over 1,000 acres of prairie, wetland, and forest habitat.

Today the Natural Resources Unit is charged with protecting and restoring natural resources within Anoka County’s seven regional parks, six county parks, and one regional park reserve.  In order to accomplish this, the Natural Resources Unit has defined five major categories for natural resource management: ecological restoration, urban forestry, water resources, fisheries and wildlife, and horticulture.