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CRWD seeks new, old photos of watershed for weekly, social-media feature

More than 3,500 images of water-related scenes in the Cedar River Watershed have been shared by the public since 2017, helping to raise awareness and support for the local outdoors.

This has been done through Cedar Scenes, a weekly feature on the Cedar River Watershed District’s social-media accounts, that is launching its ninth season of sharing photos submitted by the public of the Cedar River State Water Trail, East Side Lake, Dobbins Creek and other local waterways.

This year’s 22-week Cedar Scenes starts Monday, May 5, and ends Oct. 5, with photos submitted to CRWD, which limits two photos posted weekly per person. People can submit as many images as they would like for CRWD to pull two from each week.

All posts for Cedar Scenes can be found on Facebook by searching for the #cedarscenes hashtag.

In 2024, the public submitted 537 images of the local watershed, with 52 individuals, businesses or schools sharing photos. The most images submitted in one season was 2023 when CRWD received 607 images.

Cedar Scenes had a record number of participants in 2020 during the pandemic, with 78 individuals submitting 533 images.

“Many like Cedar Scenes because you get to see beautiful local scenes, wildlife and how some people enjoy our local waters whether that’s paddling trips, nature walks, fishing or even standup paddleboarding,” said Tim Ruzek, CRWD’s outreach coordinator. “This has been an incredible tool for our staff to connect with the public and learn more about our watershed.”

Photos for Cedar Scenes can be new or old/historic but must showcase water or a water-related scene in the Cedar River watershed within Minnesota. One exception is the stretch of the Cedar from the Minnesota-Iowa border to the former dam site in Otranto, Iowa, several miles downstream where Mitchell County maintains an access.

Once again, Runnings in Austin is sponsoring the kayak giveaway in October that concludes each Cedar Scenes season. For every submitted photo used by CRWD (limit of two per week), that person gets one entry in the drawing for a 10-foot kayak.

Last fall, Blooming Prairie Public Schools won the kayak after submitting 15 photos, giving it a 3 percent chance of winning. The Blooming Prairie Education Foundation auctioned that kayak this spring for its annual fundraiser.

Every week, CRWD chooses a favorite photo, with the submitter getting $15 in Chamber Bucks.

Funding for Cedar Scenes comes from state funds targeted for raising awareness on the effects of aquatic invasive species (AIS) on Minnesota waterways. “Clean In, Clean Out” is the message for all boaters to help prevent the spread of AIS.

All photos submitted to CRWD can be used by the watershed district for nonprofit uses as the CRWD is a local government unit that communicates with and educates the public on the watershed and water-related issues.

Within Minnesota, streams that qualify for Cedar Scenes include the Cedar River, Dobbins Creek, Turtle Creek, Wolf Creek, Little Cedar River, Rose Creek and others. Popular sites in past years have included Austin Mill Pond (Cedar); Ramsey Dam and Mill Pond (Cedar); Jay C. Hormel Nature Center (Dobbins Creek); and East Side Lake (Dobbins).

Submitted photos must be the person’s own photo or have been approved for submission by the photographer. Entries must include the submitter’s name and general information about the photo’s location and date.

Weekly winners will be announced on CRWD’s Facebook page. The grand-prize winner of the Runnings kayak needs to be at least 18 years old or come with a parent or guardian to get the kayak.

To submit photos for Cedar Scenes, you can:

• Email images to: tim@mowerdistrict.org

• Use Facebook to send images to CRWD (tag, post on CRWD’s page or use Facebook Messenger)

• Drop off images (digital or print) at CRWD’s office in Austin at 1408 21st Ave. N.W.