Executive Summary for Action Lower River Watershed District Board of Managers Meeting Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Agenda Item Item 5. B - Lower Minnesota River One Watershed One Plan Prepared By Linda Loomis, Administrator Summary One Watershed One Plan (1W1P) is a program of the MN Board of Soil and Water Resources adopted in 2016. The goal of this program is to align local water planning on major watershed boundaries with state strategies for prioritized, targeted and measurable implementation plans. In 2017, the LMRWD lobbied the State legislature to develop and implement Comprehensive Watershed Plans under this program in each of the 12 major watersheds of the Minnesota River Basin by the year 2022.

As part of the 1W1P planning process, all organizations with responsibility for regulating water resources within a given planning area are invited to be a part process. Once a plan is developed and adopted, organizations that participated in the planning process can then choose to adopt the 1W1P in place of their own plan. Participating in the process does not mean that you automatically give up your own plan.

The Lower Minnesota River Watershed (HUC-8), which is different than the LMRWD, has been divided into two planning areas; 55 and 56. Planning Area 55 has applied for and been approved to receive a grant from BWSR to begin the process in 2019. The boundaries of this planning area do not include the LMRWD, however I have indicated that the LMRWD would be interested in being a part of this planning process as High Island Creek and Bevens Creek watershed are part of this planning area and both contribute significant amounts of sediment to the MN River.

On March 28, LeSueur County Soil & Water Conservation District convened a meeting of all Counties, Watershed Districts and Water Management Organizations within Planning Area 56 (map attached). Planning Area 56 includes portions of the seven County Metropolitan Area; including the LMRWD. LeSueur and Rice County are planning to adopt the 1W1P as its official County Water Plan once it has been developed. There is a question as to how much of the planning area should be included to participate in the plan development process, since portions that are in the Metro area are required to have Plans and those plans have all been recently updated.

BWSR has asked that the LMRWD Board decide whether or not it wants to be a part of the planning process for either of these or both planning areas. If the Board chooses to participate, BWSR has asked that the Board designate an official representative for the LMRWD. If the Board chooses to participate a motion should be approved and an official representative appointed.

Attachments Map of Major Watersheds Map of One Watershed One Plan with Plan status

Page 1 of 2 Executive Summary Item 5. B - Lower Minnesota River One Watershed One Plan March 18, 2020 Page 2

Map of planning area 56 Recommended Action Motion to participate and appoint official representative

Page 2 of 2 Basins and Major Watersheds in Minnesota

Roseau R Lake of the Woods Two Lower Rainy Rivers Rainy Lake Tamarac R Rapid R Rainy Headwaters Thief R Snake R

Grand Red Marais Cr Red Lk Lake R Vermilion R

Little Lk Superior (N) Clearwater R Big Fork R Fork R

Sandhill R Mississippi R (Headwaters) Marsh R

Wild Rice R St. Louis R Leech Lk R

Mississippi R Cloquet R Crow (Grand Lk Superior (S) Buffalo R Wing Rapids) River ´ Pine R Otter Tail R Basins Redeye Mississippi R Upper River (Brainerd) Nemadji R Cedar River Red R Kettle R Lake Superior Bois De Upper St. Sioux R Long Prairie R Croix R Lower Snake R Minnesota River Mustinka R Sauk R Mississippi(Sartell) R Rainy River Pomme Rum R de Lower Mississippi R Red River of the North Terre R St. Chippewa R (St. Cloud) Minnesota R Croix R St. Croix River (Headwaters) Upper Mississippi River N Fk Crow R Mississippi R (Twin Cities) Lac Qui Parle R 0 25 50 Miles Minnesota R S Fk Crow R (Yellow Medicine R) Mississippi R Lower (Lk Pepin) Redwood R Minnesota R Upper Big Cannon R Sioux R Cottonwood R MN R (Mankato) Mississippi R Lower Big Zumbro R (Winona) Sioux R Watonwan R Le Sueur R Mississippi R Des Moines R (La Crescent) Cedar R Root R Rock R Mississippi R Blue Earth R (Reno)

Little Lower E Fk Des Winnebago Shell Upper R Sioux R Des Moines Moines R River Rock R River Upper Wapsipinicon R

wq-ws1-01 One Watershed, One Plan Participating Watersheds

Two Rivers Plus

Roseau Kittson Lake of the Woods

Lake of the Woods Koochiching Marshall Thief River

Pennington Polk Red Beltrami Lake Red Cook Lake Mississippi River River Clearwater Headwaters Lake Itasca

Norman Mahnomen St. Louis River

Wild Rice - Marsh Leech Lake St. Louis Cass Lake Superior North Hubbard Clay Becker Pine River Nemadji River

Otter Tail Wadena Carlton Wilkin Aitkin Buffalo - Redeye Crow Red River River Wing Rum Legend River Pine 7 County Metro Area Douglas Todd Grant Morrison Kanabec 1W1P Planning Boundaries * Sauk Traverse Mille Snake Major Watersheds RivSeterarns Benton Pope Lacs River Big Stevens Isanti Approved Plan Stone Sherburne Chisago North Fork 2016 Start Mustinka/ CSrwoifwt River Bois de Anoka Meeker 2017 Start Sioux River Chippewa Wright Ramsey Lac qui Hennepin Parle Kandiyohi 2018 Start Pomme McLeod Renville Carver 2019 Start de Terre Yellow Medicine Scott Dakota River Sibley Lincoln Le Lower St. Croix Nicollet Sueur Lyon Redwood Rice Yellow Cannon Wabasha Brown Medicine River Goodhue Greater River Murray Steele Winona Blue Dodge Olmsted Pipestone Watonwan Waseca Hawk Creek - Cottonwood Earth Middle Rock Jackson Martin Minnesota Nobles Mower Fillmore Houston Faribault Freeborn

Missouri River Basin Watonwan River Cedar River Lower Minnesota Shell Rock River River West & Winnebago Watershed December 2019 *Not legal boundaries; intended for planning purposes through One Watershed, One Plan only.