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Last Updated:
03/12/07
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Stream
and Lake Monitoring Training for Volunteers
The Crow River Organization of Water and
the Middle Fork Crow River Watershed District are offering a one-day
workshop for citizens interested in monitoring a stream or lake in
the Crow River Watershed.
The intent of this workshop is to
provide volunteers with the knowledge and tools necessary to conduct
monitoring on our local surface waters.
The training sessions will be offered on
two different dates and locations.
March 31, 2007
Ney Park and Nature Center
Maple Lake, MN (Wright Co.)
April 28, 2007
Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center
Spicer, MN (Kandiyohi Co.)
For information, directions and to
register, please click
here to download the brochure.
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Middle Fork of the Crow River Watershed District
and
the citizens & leaders who helped establish the District
The
River Friendly Community Award,
initiated by the Rivers
Council of Minnesota, salutes communities throughout Minnesota for
their leadership in celebrating and protecting rivers.
Wenck Associates, Inc. is pleased to sponsor the River Friendly
Community Award to help continue efforts toward improving and protecting the
Sauk River Watershed. Wenck Associates, Inc. is a leading environmental
engineering company serving watershed districts, watershed management
organizations and cities, in an endeavor to improve the quality of our water
resources. Wenck Associates, Inc. is committed to the development of citizen
partnerships with government to reach that end.
In 2003, citizens throughout the Middle Fork Crow River Watershed in
Kandiyohi, Meeker and Stearns County began sharing their concerns and
observations of deteriorated water quality. Parts of the watershed were at
risk for becoming listed as impaired, yet there were no funds available
through state and federal agencies for protective projects to implement in the
watershed.
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(From left to right: Bill & Anne Latham, accepting the award for the
Middle Fork of the Crow River Watershed District; Governor Tim Pawlenty;
Joe Grabowski, President of Wenck Associates; Ron Harnack, Executive
Director, Board of Water and Soil Resources) |
Thus began an intensive grass roots effort to create a watershed district--a
consistent, representative, accountable organization with sustainable local
funding to protect and improve water quality in the watershed. Countless hours
of volunteer time was spent building watershed community consensus: circulating
petitions, talking to and educating citizens and elected officials, researching
issues and addressing concerns.
On April 27, 2005, the Middle Fork Crow River Watershed District was
born. A representative Board of five Managers will work with a Citizen Advisory
Committee to develop a comprehensive watershed-based plan to address pollution
of lakes and streams in the watershed in partnership with local, regional and
state jurisdictions toward improving water quality with up to $250,000 of
locally generated revenue.
The educational results have already taken effect. People and governmental units
have become much more aware of how their actions impact water resources in the
watershed. Folks who would have otherwise never met found common ground, learned
to cooperatively solve problems correct issues of mutual concern.
The hard work and determination of concerned citizens working with local,
regional and state government toward locally led watershed conservation
exemplifies the proactive, collaborative approach to watershed resource
management that the Rivers Council of Minnesota envisions for all of Minnesota's
82 watersheds and 92,000 miles of river.
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