THE MISSOURI RIVER WATERSHED ONE WATERSHED, ONE PLAN: USING INNOVATION TO GUIDE LOCAL PLANNING EFFORTS

In 2012, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) began a statewide process to drive local water resources planning, management, and project efforts within a watershed. The One Watershed, One Plan (1W1P) departs from traditional efforts guided by multiple plans and instead encourages local partners to work together to develop a collaborative watershed-based management plan that consistently and concurrently drives efforts in the same positive direction.

In 2016, Missouri River Watershed (MN) applied and was selected to undergo the 2-year process of developing a 1W1P. The plan area encompasses all or portions of Rock, Pipestone, Nobles, Jackson, Lincoln, and Murray counties and the Kanaranzi-Little Rock and Okabena-Ocheda Watershed Districts. The plan development is currently nearing its halfway point.

The Missouri River Watershed 1W1P planning effort is focused on developing an innovative, credible, implementation-focused plan, geared towards fixing locally prioritized issues. The plan incorporates methodologies to both define altered hydrology and set measurable goals for mitigating impacts of a hydrologically-impacted watershed. The plan will also incorporate a “land stewardship” concept, claiming good work already being done by rural, urban, and shoreland residents, and encouraging implementation of practices aimed at improving soil health.