The City of Elk River was selected to participate in the Climate Smart Municipalities partnership for 2016-2018. This partnership is between the state of Minnesota and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Five Minnesota cities (Elk River, Morris, Warren, Duluth, and Rochester) have been paired up with NRW cities (Iserloh, Saerbeck, Arnsberg, Munster, and Siegen) […]
Read More… from German Translation for Elk River’s Climate-Smart Municipalities Partnership
The City of Elk River has long been a leader in recycling participation and organics recycling involvement. In fact, the city was one of the first to implement single stream recycling and household organics collection in the state of Minnesota. Elk River organizes recycling collection for single family homes, splitting these residents between two haulers; […]
The City of Elk River has not investigated its position on climate change and adaptation or its potential effects on the ecology and landscape of the city. Using climate models, Conservation Biology students will explore potential effects of climate change on specific tree species, focusing on street trees. Students will examine how climate change may […]
Read More… from Examining Effects of Climate Change on Tree Species
The City of Elk River has not investigated its position on climate change and adaptation. The city is situated on the Mississippi and Elk Rivers. Along with a large number of wetlands, there is a significant amount of floodplain throughout the city. Increased rainfall has increased flooding potential for parts of our city. In addition, […]
Project Overview The City of Elk River is home to over 40 parks, each with trails and other amenities. The City’s park system provides open space, land conservation, and recreation opportunities for the community and beyond. However, the City’s current GPS technology is difficult to use in parks due to dense tree coverage, and the […]
Project Overview The City of Elk River is home to 1256 wetlands, according to the National Wetland Inventory (NWI). Wetlands play a vital role in our community’s flood management, water quality, wildlife habitat, and aesthetics. In 2006, the city updated their ordinance to include a 25-foot Wetland Buffer Strip around all wetlands and stormwater ponds. […]
Project Overview Elk River is home to 25.63 miles of paved trails and 52.15 miles of sidewalks as well as popular bike trails and a mountain biking park. The Parks Master Plan addressed various gaps in the trail system and determined future trails. However, a study has yet to be done on bike lanes on […]
Project Overview The City of Elk River has organized solid waste collection for its residents through two haulers (Randy’s Environmental Services and Republic Services). The haulers are under contract with the City of Elk River until 2022. Residential accounts are set up and billed through Elk River Municipal Utilities. Customers pay a monthly fee on […]
Read More… from Evaluating Current Solid Waste Rate Structure
Many communities around the country and world have recognized the harmful effects that polystyrene take-out containers have on the environment and have instituted bans on their use. Elk River is home to one of the state’s largest municipal solid waste landfills. The landfill’s staff and surrounding community often deal with litter from the landfill and […]
Many communities around the country and world have recognized the harmful effects that plastic shopping bags have on the environment and have instituted bans or taxes on their use. Elk River is home to one of the state’s largest municipal solid waste landfills. The landfill staff and community often deal with plastic shopping bag litter […]