The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) has selected the Mississippi River Brainerd for the One Watershed, One Plan program, which lets counties transition from county-based water management planning to watershed-based planning.

The planning area for the Mississippi River Brainerd One Watershed will begin in Aitkin County where the river flows through the cities of Aitkin, Brainerd/Baxter, and Little Falls. The watershed includes all or parts of Aitkin, Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, and Todd counties.

To develop the plan, a public kick-off event will be held so the community can give their input on how the plan will proceed. The event will be held on Monday, June 6th from 4:00 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. at Camp Ripley in the Environmental Classroom, Building 11-1 (TACC), 15000 State Highway 115 in Little Falls. There will be hundreds of wildlife species on display for all those who choose learn about the 1W1P process. There will also be a virtual tour of the watershed, where all can learn about the current state of the watershed.

Registration for the event is required. To register, contact Lance at (320) 631-3556 or via email at lance.chisholm@morrisonswcd.org to provide your name name and how many other guests will be attending. Please remember to bring your official ID or driver’s license to gain access to Camp Ripley.

Anyone unable to attend the public event can still submit their questions, concerns, and ideas by completing this survey.

By — Hanky Hazelton