The Greener Good - Amy Thomas

Published on October 26, 2026

Tall green grass and purple wildflowers grow by the shoreline. A lake is in the background.

The Greener Good is a city sustainability spotlight series, where businesses and residents showcase steps that they have taken towards sustainable solutions in their workplaces and homes.

Amy Thomas still has beach access in her backyard – but it looks a little different than it used to, thanks to her shoreline restoration project in collaboration with the Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District (RWMWD). In 2020, RWMWD worked with 20 property owners on Snail Lake in a coordinated effort to restore their shorelines with native plantings.

The shoreline restoration:

Creates habitat for pollinators and other animals
Protects banks from erosion
Improves water quality

Combined with the restoration projects on the other slices of shoreline on Snail Lake, Thomas’ shoreline restoration leads to bigger impact and benefits Snail Lake as a whole.

A sandy beach with a rake lies by a lake. Two kayaks, one yellow and one blue, rest on the shore. Trees and grass lead up to several houses in the background under a clear blue sky

Before the restoration project, Thomas experienced changing water levels, taking some of the shoreline with it when the high water levels receded. The deep-rooted plants now added along the beach stay strong when water levels change, securing the shoreline.

“We’re trying to inject more color into the restored area,” Thomas said. She enjoys seeing more butterfly visitors, bees, and cocoons on the plants. “It’s kind of cool to be able to see all of that stuff.”

It was a heavily hands-on project for the first few years, with much work in collaboration with the watershed district. From babying the plants early on to now mostly independent thriving, Thomas now maintains the shoreline plants so that it doesn’t further encroach on her land – “We have the lawn mowing down to a drill,” she said.

RWMWD offers Stewardship Grants for landowners which help fund projects on their property that improve water quality and natural resources. For more information on the watershed district’s projects, visit rwmwd.org.