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Minnesota River integrated watershed, water quality and ecosystem restoration study

The Environmental Quality Board (EQB), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Minnesota River Board and more than 20 partners are developing a partnership for restoring the Minnesota River Basin. The partnership will provide the basin’s water and land managers with new tools for making sensible water and land use choices. It will help people living in the area understand how decisions can serve everyone’s economic interests by contributing to a diversified agricultural community and a beautiful and healthy environment. It will address watershed, water quality, ground water and ecosystem restoration needs. The partnership will link the efforts of local, state, federal and tribal agencies through a plan for people living and working in the Minnesota River Basin.

The project is guided by an Interagency Study Team. The study team advises the EQB and the Corps on study directions, and serves as an information broker to and from member agencies.  Membership includes:

  • State participants, including EQB, the Pollution Control Agency, Department of Natural Resources, Metropolitan Council, Department of Agriculture, Board of Water and Soil Resources, and Department of Health; the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State University at Mankato; and the Minnesota River Board
  • Federal participants, including the Corps, Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • Tribal interests, including the Shakopee-Mdewakanton Sioux Community, Upper Sioux Community and Lower Sioux Community

The Interagency Study Team uses subcommittees, such as its modeling and planning groups, to develop ideas and gather information to support recommendations for the full team to review and provide input to the EQB and Corps.  

While the study is still in the early stages of development, the study team has begun to consider the suite of models best designed to understand the basin’s hydrology, information that we believe to be fundamental to the project’s success.  The team has also begun to discuss the demonstration watersheds in which to apply the models.

This Web link provides a site where IST members and other stakeholders can access information about meetings, schedules, and references about the study and Minnesota River Basin planning process.  

IST Meeting Documents

Study Documents

Study Background Documents

Creator
Minnesota Environmental Quality Board; Minnesota Environmental Quality Board. Water program
Publisher
Minnesota Environmental Quality Board
Publication Date
Document type(s)
Rights
Public