City of Winona Natural Resources and Sustainability

09/17/2026

City of Winona - PRESS RELEASE - 9/17/2026

Scammers are impersonating the City of Winona Planning Commission and sending fake invoices to individuals and businesses. These emails attempt to convince recipients to wire money. The City of Winona does not request or accept wire transfers for any payments.

This scam is targeting contractors, businesses, and property owners in Winona. Scammers are creating invoices and using information from news stories or public documents to create an impression of legitimacy.

The messages have been sent from an email domain ending in ‘.com’.

Official City of Winona staff emails end in ‘.gov’. If you receive an invoice and question its validity, contact the City of Winona Community Development Office for verification at 507-457-8250.

09/10/2026

We are looking for a few more homes to plant boulevard trees this fall. If you have a nice place on your street, reach out to us at [email protected] or complete our online form: https://www.winonamn.gov/formcenter/public-works-15/boulevard-tree-planting-request-156

07/16/2026

Air quality is currently in the very unhealthy category due to wildfire smoke from the north, and is forecast to remain in the unhealthy category through tomorrow (Friday) morning. According to the MPCA, everyone is at increased risk of respiratory system irritation and more serious issues such as asthma attacks, heart attack or stroke.

06/25/2026

We had a neat visitor to downtown recently: A cecropia moth! North America's largest month!

What's not a cool brown surprise on the sidewalk? Pet waste. This is a PSA to please clean up after your pets, and put that waste in the trash. City code requires it (Chap. 68.06 A.3.) and it also protects water quality from nutrients and pathogens.

And yes, that is a real month with a 5 inch wingspan. And yes, pet waste can be a real problem for water quality.

06/23/2026

June 24th: Spongy moth aerial treatments coordinated by state and federal partners are scheduled. A low flying aircraft will conduct the treatment.

06/10/2026

Very exciting to see that this program is live! Anyone is welcome to adopt a drain to help improve water quality.

🌟Adopt-a-Drain in Winona is live! 🌟

Did you know storm drains lead directly to local lakes, rivers, and wetlands without any filtration? That's why it's important to keep them clear of leaves, trash, and other pollutants for cleaner and healthier waterways.

Here's how it works:
💧Step 1: Adopt as many storm drains as you would like in your neighborhood at mn.adopt-a-drain.org
💧Step 2: Clean out your drain(s)
💧Step 3: Estimate type and pounds of debris collected and submit the data to track on your online account

Adopt a drain near you to help protect Lake Winona and the Mississippi River!

Healthy Lake Winona City of Winona Natural Resources and Sustainability

06/05/2026

Heads up! The Minnesota Department of Agriculture will be using low flying yellow airplanes for aerial management of spongy moth, a destructive invasive forest pest. These operations will take place in the City of Winona. Operations are scheduled to take place sometime between June 23-26 but are dependent on weather, operations could last through July 1. You can find more information and exact operation locations by visiting www.mda.state.mn.us/smmanagement.

05/12/2026

There might some time left to view ephemeral forest wildflowers in the bluff trails. These flowers and plants appear for only a short time before the trees leaf out. Some very unique flowers and leaves.

You may also see a lot of garlic mustard, which is an invasive species. Garlic mustard has much smaller white flowers and lighter green leaves than any of our native ephemerals. Fortunately they can be pulled up pretty easily and some people even enjoy making them into pesto.

05/07/2026

We'll be having an info and input session about our draft Prairie Island Habitat Management Plan this evening at 5 pm at Winona City Hall. You can find the draft plan and our online input form at winonamn.gov/823.

04/24/2026

We're developing a habitat management plan for the natural areas of Prairie Island Park, and value your input!

We'll be hosting some in person sessions where you can learn about the draft plan and discuss with other community members:
- 4/28 (Tuesday): 5:30 PM at Winona City Hall Council Chambers
- 4/29 (Weds.): 7 PM at Two Fathoms
- 5/7 (Thursday): 5 pm at Winona City Hall Council Chambers

There is also the option to review the plan and submit comments online by May 7th: https://www.winonamn.gov/FormCenter/Parks-7/Draft-Prairie-Island-Habitat-Plan-Public-503