The following stories feature the work of Minnesota’s watershed organizations. Please forward your stories to us so we don’t miss any of them. Sharing stories with one another is a great way to learn and expand our knowledge. We encourage you to contact each other to learn more.
Bois de Sioux Watershed District builds on multi-benefit successes
With projects that combine water quality, flood reduction, and wildlife habitat improvements, the Bois de Sioux Watershed District at the headwaters of the Red River gained support from landowners and funding sources alike. (BWSR Snapshots, March 2023)
Wild Rice Watershed District Encourages Permit Application Submissions Wild Rice Watershed District Board of Managers strongly encourages landowners and tenants to submit permit applications for spring, summer, and fall 2023 work as soon as possible. (By Wild Rice Watershed District, DL-Online, March 11, 2023)
More than 200 students and teachers participate in 28th annual River Watch Forum
River Watch teams from schools across the region competed against each other in an assignment to compare water quality data from rivers in their community to sites farther downstream on those same rivers. (Grand Forks Herald, March 11, 2023)
Moody Lake next on WD projects list
The Comfort Lake Forest Lake Watershed District held a public Hearing on March 9 to present a four-part plan to address improving Moody Lake water quality and approved the plan. (By Denise Martin, Chisago County Press, March 17, 2023)
Here’s the flood forecast for Minnesota’s river basins
There are growing signs that major and potentially damaging flooding could be headed for parts of Minnesota, with historic levels of water sitting on the landscape in the form of snow. (By Tim Nelson, MPR News, March 23, 2023)
Yellow Medicine River Watershed District
The Yellow Medicine River Watershed District is working with watershed drainage issues in a unique topographical setting, with the elevation falling 1,100 feet from the beginning of the watershed basin to the top of the watershed district. (Minnesota Public Radio, Changing Currents, March 24, 2023)
Save the Date
The Summer Tour will be held in Albert Lea in partnership with the Shell Rock River, Cedar River, and Turtle Creek Watershed Districts from June 20-21. More information will be available soon. Please save the date for this event!
Minnesota Watersheds Board and Committee Updates
Minnesota Watersheds Board. The Minnesota Watersheds Board met on March 20 via Zoom. The treasurer’s report was approved, as were the meeting minutes for February 15. Reports were given by the Minnesota Watersheds President, Executive Director, Minnesota Association of Watershed Administrators, Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) Executive Director Jaschke, and watershed district representatives on the BWSR board. Discussion was held regarding membership in the Drainage Work Group (DWG). The consensus was that membership is important, but that the DWG has to operate on a consensus basis.
Actions taken:
The Executive Director’s contract was approved.
The Bronze Sponsorship was approved for the Salt Symposium.
Events-Education Committee. The Events-Education Committee met on March 7. Discussion was held and next steps were determined for the Summer Tour, Annual Conference, and the 2024 Legislative Event. Meeting notes can be found here.
Strategic Plan Committee. The Strategic Plan Committee met on March 8 to review the Executive Director’s work plan. They determined that the value of the work plan is to provide the Executive Director with direction on priorities. The reporting that she provides will allow for comparing what was proposed and what was done, as well as to know how much is too much, and what it will take to implement the Strategic Plan. Meeting notes can be found here.
Meet your Board of Directors
Gene Tiedemann, Director
How long have you been involved in the watershed world? I have been involved with the Red Lake Watershed District for about 24 years. The relationship began when watershed district projects were being started and I attended meetings to find out what was happening.
How long have you served on your local watershed board? Because of my interest in watershed district projects, I was approached by a county commissioner to apply to be on the board. That was 20 years ago. I also served on the BWSR Board as a representative for watershed districts for 12 and a half years.
What inspires you to continue doing the work you do? When I was first aware of the Red Lake Watershed District, it was dysfunctional. The public’s perception was that the watershed district wanted to take people’s land away. The watershed district wasn’t trusted. When speaking with county commissioners, I let them know that the watershed district should provide solutions to problems, not cause them. Solving problems and being transparent is what I enjoy.
What was your impetus for joining the Minnesota Watersheds Board of Directors? After I left the BWSR Board, Ray Bohn approached me about serving as a director. He told me it would be about two meetings a year, which at that time, was the case. I said that I was willing to try it. It would definitely have been difficult to quit being active on a state board cold turkey.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself. I have always told my grandchildren that I am old. Now, I have them trained to say, “You’re not that old! You have some life left.” We never know how long our life will be on this earth. Enjoy your life and cherish your family.
Mary Texer, Director
How long have you been involved in the watershed world? I have been a formal environmentalist since my involvement in the first earth day when I was in college.
How long have you served on your local watershed board? I have been on the Capitol Region board since 2010.
What inspires you to continue doing the work you do? I want to leave a better environment and world for those that follow.
What was your impetus for joining the Minnesota Watersheds Board of Directors? The organization was at a critical point and needed to reorganize. I worked with Craig Leiser, Perry Forster, and Barbara Haake to define the situation and recommend a solution. I ran for the board to continue working on the organization’s longevity and hopeful success.
Jackie Anderson, Director
How long have you been involved in the watershed world? Since 1993, when a local farmer came to a Town Board meeting complaining about flooding of his farm from the increased water flowing into the Sunrise River. That started a study of an inactive joint judicial ditch system that drained a former agricultural area - transitioning to a growing urban area - to the south. After four years of study, it was clear a watershed district needed to be formed. I was the lead person working with BWSR to form the Comfort Lake Forest Lake Watershed District, which was approved in September, 1999.
How long have you served on your local watershed board? I joined the Board in 2002, so I am starting my 21st year. I would have served on the first board in 1999, but I was only in the second year of a new business I started, so three years later, when one of the managers on the first board resigned after his first term, I was appointed.
What inspires you to continue doing the work you do? I moved to Minnesota in 1972, after marrying a Minnesotan, but I was also mesmerized by, and drawn to, the abundance of freshwater lakes and rivers in Minnesota. The beauty of, and the sheer abundance of, the surface water glistening from my airplane window on visits from Illinois, still thrills me; and as someone who likes to be in or on the water as much as possible; I thought I had moved to paradise! Those early impressions have inspired me to do whatever I can to protect and improve as much of Minnesota’s unique water resources as possible. Also witnessing the degradation of the small clear lake we moved to in 1987 shocked me. I witnessed firsthand, how fast growth in neighboring small towns and conversion of farmland to urban uses near the lake - without sediment protection measures enforced - reduced the lake’s clarity from 12 feet to 4 feet, and from no visible algae to visible green algae blooms, within a 16-month period. The destruction was so fast, I was stunned this was allowed to happen, so I got involved by serving on our local planning board, township board, lake association board, and eventually starting our local watershed district.
What was your impetus for joining the Minnesota Watersheds Board of Directors? I had accumulated 30 years of management and government/legislative experience and thought I could put it to use for our association, but mostly I wanted to learn from others around the state involved in water management.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself. I was once a queen for two days - at my high school homecoming.
EMPLOYMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Watershed Job Openings. Do not forget that Minnesota Watersheds will post job openings for members on its website and promote them on social media. It is one of our most popular pages so email Maddy at mnwatershed@gmail.com to get yours listed today.
Here's the current list:
Clean Water Council (CWC) – The CWC met on March 20 and continued the strategic planning exercise as we look to Fiscal 26-27. We heard presentations about interconnections of the MN Department of Health Ground Water Restoration and Protection Strategies (GRAPS) and the BWSR Nonpoint Priority Funding Plan. Two 1W1P (Beltrami and Rock) staff gave us on the ground examples of this coordination.
The CWC Policy Committee met on Friday, March 24 to hear about and discuss Water Storage Role in Climate Resiliency. As always, to keep the most up to date info about the CWC and water legislation, please subscribe to the CWC Highlights. (Update from Marcie Weinandt, Minnesota Watersheds representative on the CWC.)
BWSR – The BWSR Board met on March 22. The agenda and January meeting minutes were approved. Reports were given by the BWSR Executive Director, and state agencies. Advisory comments were also provided. A presentation was given on the historical context of tribes.
Board action included approving the request for proposals for One Watershed, One Plan (1W1P) Planning Grants, and five Comprehensive Watershed Management Plans: St. Lois River, Des Moines River Watershed, Lac qui Parle-Yellow Bank, Lower Minnesota River West, and Mississippi River-Winona/La Crescent. Meeting notes can be found here.
1W1P Program Update
Click here for an update on 1W1P planning efforts, including developments since the last program update in August 2022. For more information about individual planning efforts, click here.
April Meetings
April Meeting Calendar. The following meetings are scheduled in January. See the Minnesota Watersheds calendar for meeting details as soon as they become available.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency spent $600,000 studying the problem [nitrates] but decided regulations wouldn’t work. (Greg Stanley, Star Tribune, March 4, 2023)
How Drainage Tile Works
Here are some visual aids to help you understand how agricultural drainage tile works.
Grant Funding for Facilities to Cut Emissions and Improve Air Quality
The deadline for proposals for projects that aim to reduce air emissions by upgrading equipment and processes in facilities is right around the corner. Applications are due no later than 4:00 p.m. on April 10, 2023. For more information, click here.
Workshop: Local Ecology Solutions
This workshop is designed to help a person become better prepared to address emerging ecological issues and brainstorm solutions with peers from neighboring cities, agencies, and watershed management organizations. Click here for more information.
Water Storage Grants
The BWSR is accepting application for water storage grants to help make landscapes more resilient to severe weather events. The application deadline is May 4 at 4:30 p.m. Click here for more information.
Minnesota Private Well Forum – A Call for Action
The Minnesota Private Well Forum will be held online on Monday Mark 8. Click here for more information.
MN Cup
MN Cup has become a great first step for launching a new business, offering free education, mentorship, promotional opportunities, and seed funding. To learn more about MN Cup, click here. To apply, click here.
NEVER STOP LEARNING! Continuing education is a pivotal component to organizational success. Minnesota Watersheds is committed to connecting you with high quality training events whether it is offered at our events or through our partners. Check out the Minnesota Watersheds online training calendar for information regarding upcoming education and training events.
BWSR offers a searchable library of recorded modules, webinars, videos, and other resources to find professional development information on a variety of topics.
Please forward opportunities you see that would be of value to other members.
Connect with Us
Minnesota Watersheds Board members are available to meet with you at one of your future board meetings. They also welcome the opportunity to meet with you one-on-one to hear about your successes and ideas where Minnesota Watersheds could be of assistance. Contact information is on our website. We enjoy working with Minnesota Watersheds members and greatly appreciate your support!
To download a copy of this Newsletter, or to view previous Newsletters, follow this link.
you at one of your future board meetings. They also welcome the opportunity to meet with you one-on-one to hear about your successes and ideas where Minnesota Watersheds could be of assistance. Contact information is on our 
