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 -2/19/25, 1:00 PM -
Springfield Area Community Center (lunch provided)
Steering Committee
February 19, 2025 10:30 AM -
Springfield Area Community Center
Planning Update
On January 22, 2025, the Board of Water and Soil Resources approved the Cottonwood-Middle Minnesota Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan!
Details can be found in the attached BWSR Board Order (attach document).
Over the next few months, the Steering Committee and Policy Committee will continue to finalize details in preparation for plan implementation. These details include:
Cost-Share Policy Development
Ranking/Scoring Spreadsheet
Request for Watershed Based Implementation Funds (WBIF) by April 30, 2025
Plan Implementation through the Redwood-Cottonwood Rivers Control Area
Hiring of Watershed Coordinator by RCRCA to oversee the Cottonwood-Middle MN CWMP
Houston Engineering, Inc. is developing some tools to aid implementation:
*Benefits Estimator and Spreadsheet Tool, lovingly known as the BEAST – this will allow plan partners to calculate the measurable results in a consistent manner
*MS4Front Tracking System – this will allow plan partners to track the BMPs installed and see the progress being made
*Hydrologic Model of the CW-MM watershed – this model will break the watershed into 100 smaller watersheds to identify areas where water storage projects can be focused.
It is anticipated that cost-share funding will be available by Summer 2025.