Watershed Approach

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, in collaboration with local governments — including soil and water conservation districts, watershed districts, and counties — other state agencies, and Tribes, employs a watershed approach to restoring and protecting Minnesota's rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Money to accelerate efforts to monitor, assess, study, and restore impaired waters, and to protect unimpaired waters is funded by Minnesota’s Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment.

​

Water monitoring is conducted in each watershed every 10 year to show trends in water quality and the impact of any restoration or protection actions. The strength of the watershed approach is that it focuses holistically on the watershed's condition as the scientific basis for planning, implementation, and measurement of results. This approach is tailored to meet local conditions and needs, based on factors such as watershed size, landscape diversity, and geographic complexity.

​

Learn more:
MPCA Watershed Approach Website
https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/watershed-approach-restoring-and-protecting-water-quality