ST. PAUL -- A new watershed district in Kandiyohi, Meeker, Stearns and Pope counties already is helping clean up water in the area, an organizer said Thursday night as she accepted a statewide award.
Counties already are adopting better storm sewer ordinances thanks to the 5-month-old organization, Ann Latham told "RiverNight," an event organized by the River Councils of Minnesota.
Latham and her husband, Bill, accepted the River Friendly Community Award for the Middle Fork of the Crow River Watershed District during the event on a St. Paul riverboat.
"We've already realized success in educating our communities about their impacts on watershed health and we look forward to working with citizens and local governments in crafting a watershed plan for action," Ann Latham said.
In 2003, citizens began expressing concerns about the water quality in the watershed, which covers 275 square miles, according to Ron Harnack, executive director of the state Board of Water and Soil Resources. With limited government money to clean up the water, he added, citizens formed the watershed district last April 27.
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It was not easy, Harnack said, because groups involved in the district "are not necessarily on the same page."
"It's all about local partnerships," Harnack said. "Working with stakeholders from all perspectives to develop water resource management solutions that make sense locally is something watershed districts do well."
The River Friendly Community Award was created to honor communities that recognize rivers for their beauty, economic, historic, cultural and ecological value and that are taking creative steps to restore and preserve rivers.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty told the 200 RiverNight attendees that to clean up the state's water, new ideas are needed.
"It is not really an option to stay the same," he said.
Doing the same old things, just adding more money, won't work, he added.
After years of not being able to clean up the water, as required by federal law, Pawlenty gave a bit of hope to the river supporters. A stable economy means "we might have a little more flexibility" in funding water programs, he said.
