Natural Resource Projects

As part of its ongoing commitment to water quality and natural resource management, the City of Golden Valley has established native vegetation buffers around dozens of ponds and wetlands. These buffers help improve water quality and ecological diversity as well as provide habitat and food sources for pollinators like bees and butterflies.

Maintenance  includes dormant mowing, controlled burns, and routine site visits to remove unwanted vegetation and ensure native plants are thriving.

Controlled Burns

For controlled burns, crews will pile and burn buckthorn within the nature area after obtaining the proper permits and notifying the Fire Department and 911 dispatchers. Burns must also be conducted with proper wind conditions to minimize the amount of smoke that may blow across roadways or towards buildings. Area residents are notified before a burn.

The City of Golden Valley currently has seven controlled burns scheduled for spring 2022 (see maps below). Properties within 500 feet of these areas will receive a mailed letter detailing the projects and will be notified on the day of the burns.

Restoration Projects

Habitat restoration projects typically include removal of invasive plants that quickly become a dominant component of nature areas. For example, the influx of buckthorn often shades out the majority of ground cover in the area, prevents forest regeneration, and contributes to increased erosion and decreased quality of wildlife habitats.

After removal of invasive species, the City establishes:

  • native grasses, sedges, forbs, and shrubs to provide habitat for various waterfowl and pollinator species
  • vegetative buffers and enhanced ground cover to improves water quality