Click HERE to see the coloring contest winners!

The first-ever Lake Superior Watershed Festival was attended by nearly 500 visitors on Saturday, June 4, 2005 in Duluth, Minnesota. The event was a great success, acknowledging and celebrating the high quality waters of the Lake Superior Basin. Emphasis was placed on helping local residents to understand how their activities at home impact the quality of local streams and Lake Superior.

Over 30 retail and non-profit exhibitors demonstrated watershed-friendly tips and techniques to be used at home and in the yard. Free workshops were offered throughout the day, covering topics such as fly-fishing, gardening and rain barrel construction. Activities for children featured performances by Dr. T (a nationally acclaimed entertainer), demonstrations by "Clancy, the Mercury Detecting Dog", and a coloring contest.

The event created a unique opportunity to reach a mainstream audience and increase watershed awareness. Surveys showed that 45% reported that this was the first environmental festival that they had attended in the region. Exhibitors enthusiastically reported that the event was worth their time and effort and they would consider returning. This all happened despite cold, rainy weather.

The festival was hosted by the Regional Stormwater Protection Team (RSPT), whose mission is to protect and enhance the region's shared water resources through stormwater pollution prevention, accomplished through education and technical assistance. This project was funded in part under the Coastal Zone Management Act, by NOAA's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, in cooperation with Minnesota's Lake Superior Coastal Program.