St. Paul, Minn. – Continuing statewide efforts towards a more coordinated watershed-based approach, on Sept. 25 the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) approved $24 million from Minnesota’s Clean Water Fund to implement local clean water priorities developed via comprehensive watershed management plans called One Watershed, One Plan. Planning partnerships with approved comprehensive watershed management plans are eligible to receive funding.
Historically, water planning occurred along government boundaries (such as county scales), which can be challenging since water flows according to high and low points on the landscape, not just within county boundaries. The One Watershed, One Plan program aims to align local water planning on watershed boundaries to create prioritized, targeted and measurable implementation plans. This collaborative approach enables comprehensive water management work on issues like flooding, habitat, water quality and recreation.
In the One Watershed, One Plan program, local governments combine information from their citizens, existing local water plans, data and information from state and federal agencies, nonprofit organizations and community stakeholders. The resulting plans identify actions that address the largest threats and provide the greatest environmental benefits to high-priority water resources. Key to the process is the partnership between counties, soil and water conservation districts, watershed districts and cities to identify and then implement shared priorities and goals.
“One Watershed, One Plan plays a central role in accelerating our progress to restore and protect Minnesota’s waters,” BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke said. “This implementation funding will empower local partnerships to put their plans in motion following careful planning and scientific assessment of watershed needs.”
More information about the One Watershed One Plan program is available on BWSR’s website: www.bwsr.state.mn.us.