cottonwood-middle minnesota one watershed one plan
The Cottonwood-Middle Minnesota Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan began in April 2023 with planning grant funds awarded by BWSR, through the One Watershed One Plan program, in late August of 2022. Grant Administration/Coordination and Fiscal Management is being provided by the Redwood-Cottonwood Rivers Control Area.
The counties of Brown, Cottonwood, Lyon, Murray and Redwood, their respective SWCDS, Area II MN River Basin Projects, RCRCA and the City of Springfield comprise the 13 members of this Memorandum of Agreement (link). Blue Earth County and SWCD, and Yellow Medicine County and SWCD have opted out of the planning due to having <5% of their counties within the watershed boundary. The Policy Committee (see below) meets the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 2:00 PM at the Springfield Area Community Center. Information pertaining to the Policy Committee can be found below.
As the effort evolves, we will be establishing Advisory Committees: technical and citizen. If you would like to serve on either committee, please contact Kerry Netzke at 507-532-1325.
Information is available below for the Policy Committee, its membership, minutes and other pertinent information regarding the Cottonwood-Middle Minnesota One Watershed, One Plan.
POLICY COMMITTEE
The Policy Committee is comprised of 13 members; one appointed member for each partnering entity. The committee meets the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 2:00 PM at the Springfield Area Community Center.
Planning updates and Meeting notices
Meeting Notices
Policy Committee
Meeting Schedule:
3rd Wednesday of the month - 2:00 PM at Springfield Area Community Center.
Policy Committee -11/20/24, 12:00 pm -
Springfield Community Center (lunch provided)
Steering Committee
Steering Committee - TBD
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
Cottonwood-Middle Minnesota Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan
The Cottonwood-Middle Minnesota Policy Committee, including the counties and Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) of Brown, Cottonwood, Lyon, Redwood, and Murray, the City of Springfield, the Redwood-Cottonwood Rivers Control Area (RCRCA) and Area II Minnesota River Basin Projects (Area II), is holding a Public Hearing at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, at the Springfield Area Community Center at 33 S Cass Ave, Springfield, MN 56087. The Public Hearing will be in regard to the draft Cottonwood-Middle Minnesota Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan.
Information will be presented and discussed regarding the draft watershed plan for the Cottonwood-Middle Minnesota Watershed, which covers portions of Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Murray, Redwood, and Lyon Counties. This Plan was out for 60-day review from July 1 – August 30, 2024. Any interested person(s) is invited to attend the hearing and submit comments, written or verbal, that will become part of the official public hearing record. These comments will be considered when making final revisions to the Plan. Written comments will also be accepted in writing by September 17, 2024, to Kerry Netzke at 1424 East College Drive, Suite 300, Marshall, MN 56258, or via email to kerry.netzke@rcrca.com.
A copy of the current draft plan is available at https://rcrca.com/cw-mm-1w1p-planning-grant. A hard copy of the draft plan is available upon request at the Lyon Soil and Water Conservation District at 1424 East College Drive, Suite 600, Marshall, MN during regular business hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.