Search

St. Paul, Minn.—Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) Executive Director John Jaschke presented the 2018 Outstanding Watershed District Employee award on Friday, Nov. 30 to Okabena-Ocheda Watershed District Administrator Dan Livdahl. The recognition ceremony took place during the Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts’ (MAWD) annual conference in Alexandria.

“Local partners are the driving force behind successful water quality improvement projects,” Jaschke said. “Dan Livdahl’s commitment to preserving our water resources is commendable, and we appreciate all he does to further conservation efforts in Southwest Minnesota.”

Livdahl is the sole employee of the watershed district, where his primary duties involve groundwater and surface water protection efforts. His achievements are proof that a small office can accomplish big goals: In 2016, he helped secure a $428,000 Clean Water Legacy Projects and Practices grant to construct in-stream phosphorus treatment filtration structures on a retired golf course owned by the city of Worthington. Livdahl also coordinates with collaborating agencies, monitors flood prevention structures, and conducts public outreach efforts to increase support for water quality improvement initiatives throughout the southwest region.

In addition to his work for the watershed district, Livdahl is the lead member and coordinator of the Missouri River Watershed One Watershed, One Plan planning effort. He also serves as chair of the Prairie Ecology Bus Center Board of Directors, a non-profit that provides a mobile nature center and ecology lab to residents of southwest Minnesota.

Each year, BWSR celebrates the excellent work accomplished by local government staff to advance conservation efforts across the state. An award for Outstanding Soil and Water Conservation District Employee will be presented Dec. 10 at the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts’ annual conference in Minneapolis.

Photo caption: Okabena-Ocheda Watershed District Administrator Dan Livdahl accepted the Watershed District Employee of the Year award from Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources Executive Director John Jaschke, left, during the Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts’ annual conference on Nov. 30 in Alexandria. Casey Ingenthron, right, of the watershed district’s board of managers, joined Jaschke in congratulating Livdahl after Friday’s awards presentation. Photo Credit: Ann Wessel, BWSR

St. Paul, Minn. – Continuing statewide work to shift local water planning to a more coordinated approach, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) approved nine new planning grants for the One Watershed, One Plan program. The August 23^rd board action allocates up to $2,200,000 in Clean Water Fund grants to fund nine planning projects to address water issues on a watershed basis.

Historically, water resource management has been planned at the county level. County-level planning can pose challenges since water flows according to high and low points on the landscape, not local government boundaries. One Watershed, One Plan aims to align local water planning on watershed boundaries to create prioritized, targeted, and measurable implementation plans. This collaborative approach enables comprehensive water management work on issues like flooding, habitat, water quality, and recreation.

In the One Watershed, One Plan Program, local governments combine information from their existing water plans, data and information from state water agencies, and input from federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and citizen stakeholders. The resulting plans identify actions that address the largest threats and provide the greatest environmental benefits to high-priority water resources. Key to the process is the partnership between counties, soil and water conservation districts, watershed districts, and other stakeholders to identify and then implement shared priorities and goals.

“One Watershed, One Plan plays a central role in our efforts to accelerate our goals to restore and protect Minnesota’s Waters,” BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke said. “Local governments are responding to the opportunity to come together with their upstream and downstream neighbors, decide what’s most important, and take action for clean water.”

BWSR has divided Minnesota into 63 suggested “planning boundaries,” which are based on major watersheds. The legislature set a participation goal in 2015 of all planning boundaries by the year 2025. So far, the five pilot plans have been approved by the BWSR board and thirteen groups are actively developing plans. These new planning grants bring the number of planning partnerships to 27.

The nine new planning areas are:

• Hawk Creek watershed, which includes parts of Chippewa, Kandiyohi, and Renville counties.
• Joe River and Two Rivers watershed, which includes parts of Kittson and Roseau counties
• Mississippi River Headwaters watershed, which includes parts of Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Hubbard, and Itasca counties.
• Nemadji watershed, which includes parts of Carlton and Pine counties.
• Redeye River watershed, which includes parts of Becker, Otter Tail, Todd, and Wadena counties.
• Rum River watershed, which includes parts of Aitkin, Anoka, Benton, Crow Wing, Isanti, Kanabec Mille Lacs, Morrison, and Sherburne counties.
• Shell Rock River and Winnebago watershed, which includes part of Freeborn County.
• Wild Rice and Marsh River watershed, which includes parts of Becker, Clay, Clearwater, Mahnomen, and Norman counties.
• Zumbro River watershed, which includes parts of Dodge, Goodhue, Olmsted, Rice, and Wabasha counties.

More information about the One Watershed One Plan program, including a map of the participating watersheds, is on BWSR’s website: www.bwsr.state.mn.us.