About

Working with farmers and landowners to improve water quality

Our Partnership seeks to demonstrate that the best way to reverse Minnesota’s troubling water quality trends is to ensure that conservation activities focus more on the people who have the power to make change. We do this by taking a flexible and collaborative approach to traditional conservation assistance, ensuring that projects add to a landowner or farm’s bottom line, and seeking more sustainable long-term solutions for the future. We brought our community together to create a grassroots vision and a strategic plan for the watershed and we have enlisted leaders from the community to spur neighbors to action.

What we’ve done and what’s to come

We have concentrated our efforts on customer service, and poured resources into one-on-one landowner outreach, and fostered community around our Creek. About 25% of the watershed’s farmers and other landowners are working with us so far. We’ve worked with those folks to complete 65 conservation best management practices; and we’ve planted more than 100  marginal acres to perennial vegetation. Several farmers are incorporating conservation drainage, strip & no till, and cover crops.

Join Us

We welcome members of the community to volunteer for conservation events, attend field days, volunteer as photographers, help spread the word about our Partnership, and reach out to us with questions about conservation practices and upcoming work in the watershed.

Funding

Our Partnership has attracted over $2 million in investment from private foundations, public-private partnerships, and from the State of Minnesota as one of its targeted watershed demonstration projects. Thanks to the Bush Foundation, Minnesota Clean Water Fund, MN Board of Water Resources, the McKnight Foundation, Fishers and Farmers Partnership, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Environmental Protection Agency.

Present Partners

Nicollet Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) was organized by local landowners in 1961 to fill the crucial niche of providing land and water conservation services to owners of private lands. Managing private lands in a way that promotes a sound economy and sustains and enhances natural resources is key to Minnesota’s environmental health. Private landowners trust SWCDs to provide needed technology, funding and educational services because they are established in each community, governed by local leaders and focused on conservation of local soil and water resources. SWCDs work to reduce the non-point source of pollution to make Minnesota’s lakes and rivers fishable and swimmable.

Great River Greening Established in 1995, Great River Greening inspires, engages and leads local communities in conserving and caring for the land and water that enrich our lives. Our grassroots work creates enduring commitment to caring for healthy lands and waters in local communities and restores wonder in the habitat that surrounds them. We work side-by-side with nearly 44,000 volunteers to protect, restore and care for Minnesota’s natural heritage – 25,000 acres and counting. Through active participation and acquired expertise, volunteers become advocates with a deep connection to the land and water. Experienced, committed ecologists apply state-of-the-art practices to restoration projects, sharing skill and knowledge with landowners, volunteers, students and at-risk youth, and helping the next generation discover opportunities in environmental sciences with a confidence and connection to the world.

In agricultural watersheds, Great River Greening partners with landowners and agencies to organize locally led, community-focused initiatives aimed at finding effective, long-term solutions to the challenges facing Minnesota’s natural and agricultural heritage, most specifically preserving the health of our lakes, rivers, and streams.

Gustavus Adolphus College has launched a five to 10-year project to explore water improvement when farmers and homeowners try new approaches on their land. The project is funded by a $75,000 grant from the McKnight Foundation that supports hiring student researchers, scientific research on clean rivers, and building research opportunities into regular classroom assignments during the academic year. Additional funding and support for the Minnesota River basin research came through the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation, a Gustavus Presidential Faculty-Student Collaboration Grant, and the College’s Environmental Studies Program.