Help Keep Winona’s Water Clean—One Storm Drain at a Time!
Adopt-a-Drain is a simple way for Winona residents to help protect local water quality. By adopting a storm drain near your home, workplace, or neighborhood, you commit to keeping it clear of leaves, grass clippings, trash, and other debris.
Storm drains carry rain and snowmelt from our streets directly to nearby waterways, including Lake Winona and the Mississippi River. Keeping drains clean helps prevent pollutants and excess nutrients from reaching these important local waters.
It only takes a few minutes—and every drain makes a difference!
Why adopt a storm drain?
What happens on our streets can end up in our water.
Unlike water that goes down a household drain and is treated at a wastewater treatment facility, stormwater flows from streets and other hard surfaces into storm drains. Along the way, it can pick up leaves, grass clippings, trash, sediment, fertilizers, and other pollutants before eventually reaching local waterways.
Leaves and grass clippings may seem harmless, but as they break down in the water, they release nutrients such as phosphorus. Too many nutrients can contribute to excessive algae growth and negatively affect water quality and aquatic habitat.
By keeping your adopted drain clear, you can:
- Help keep leaves, grass clippings, trash, and other pollutants out of Lake Winona and the Mississippi River
- Reduce excess nutrients entering local waters
- Help stormwater flow properly during rain events
- Keep your neighborhood cleaner
- Take a simple, hands-on action to protect local water quality
Small actions add up. When residents throughout Winona care for drains in their own neighborhoods, together we can make a meaningful difference for our local waters.
How to adopt a storm drain…
Signing up is free, easy, and only takes a few minutes.
- Visit Adopt-a-Drain.org.
- Enter your address to find available storm drains near you on the interactive map.
- Select the drain—or drains—you would like to adopt.
- Complete the short registration form and give your drain a name if you’d like!
- Once registered, Winona County SWCD will send you a welcome package with information and resources to help you get started.
After adopting, simply check your drain periodically and remove leaves, grass clippings, trash, and other debris from around the drain. Always follow the provided safety guidelines and never enter the street when conditions are unsafe.
Ready to get started?
Visit Adopt-a-Drain.org and find a drain near you!
Program Support
Winona’s Adopt-a-Drain program is supported through the WinLaC One Watershed, One Plan (1W1P) and funding from Minnesota’s Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.
