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PROJECT:

Rainy - Rapid Watershed Planning

Current Planning Efforts

The Watershed Planning Committee has a survey which is currently open to the Public.  

Please take 5-10 minutes to complete this survey and provide your input on the future of the watershed!

opens in a new window TAKE THE SURVEY
opens in a new window 2022-2023 Planning Schedule Summary opens PDF file

Draft Plan Components

Plan components will be posted here as they are available.  These documents will be in draft form until the final plan is approved by BWSR (mid 2023).  Comments are welcome at any time.  

Executive Summary - pending
Land and Water Resources Inventory - pending
Priority Resources and Issues - pending
Measurable Goals - pending
Targeted Implementation Schedule - pending
Plan Implementation Programs - pending
Plan Administration and Coordination - pending

What is Watershed-based Planning?

Minnesota has a long history of water management by local government. The One Watershed, One Plan concept is rooted in this history and in work initiated by the Local Government Water Roundtable (Association of Minnesota Counties, Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts, and Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts) in 2011. It was recommended that the local governments charged with water management responsibility should organize and develop focused implementation plans on a watershed scale.
 
BWSR’s vision for One Watershed, One Plan is to align local water planning on major watershed boundaries with state strategies towards prioritized, targeted and measurable implementation plans – the next logical step in the evolution of water planning in Minnesota.
 
This Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan allows participating LGUs to align local water planning efforts along a uniform watershed boundary and ultimately result in more efficient resource management.
opens in a new window VIEW THE BWSR FACT SHEET ON ONE WATERSHED, ONE PLANS opens PDF file

About the Rainy-Rapid Watershed Planning Area

The Rainy-Rapid Watershed Planning Area is a combination of the western portion of the Lower Rainy River Major Watershed and the entire Rapid River Major Watershed. Planning partners involved agreed to go with a modified watershed boundary in order to simplify the planning and implementation for this region.

Active planning partners are Lake of the Woods County and Lake of the Woods Soil and Watershed Conservation District.  Lake of the Woods SWCD has received a planning grant which started in January 2022.  This funding is used for the plan development.  The goal is to have a plan completed by mid-summer of 2023.  Upon completion of the plan, the Partners can seek watershed-based implementation funding through the Clean Water Funds.  Advisory members of the planning process include Koochiching County and SWCD, Beltrami County and SWCD, and the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians.  

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Lower Rainy and Rapid River watersheds boundary

Maps of Rainy-Rapid Watersheds Planning Area

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