Watershed Solutions - Policy to Action - A 2012 Summit

How do we move from policy and planning to watershed solutions for water conservation, ground and surface water quality, habitat and production?

Who needs to participate for successful outcomes?

Two significant bi-national agreements are at the forefront: the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement which is close to completion and the Great Lakes Water Compact for which water conservation implementation action is required in order to ward off the thirsty states eyeing the Great Lakes Basin waters.

The Farm Bill, up for renegotiation, contains over 90% of the Conservation Programs that protect our lands and waters.

Will conservation compliance be a driver for successful outcomes?

In the past water management decisions were driven by unsustainable water use policies. Now is the time to develop a vision and action for water conservation based on policy and laws that prioritize sustainable water use for the present and future.

Below are links to some of the presentations and reports from the Summit:

Identifying Threats and Challenges at the Basin Level

Dave Dempsey, International Joint Commission:
Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

Karen Hobbs, National Resource Defence Council:
Great Lakes Water Compact

Coordinating Solutions at the Watershed Level

Jason Moeckel, Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources
"Groundwater Management Areas" - Integrated Aquifer Management

James Wisker, Minnehaha Creek Watershed District:
Integrated Watershed Planning: It's about more than water

Brad Redlin, Izaak Walton League of America
Farm Bill 2012 - 2013

Jerome Deal, Bois De Sioux Watershed District & Henry VanOffelen, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy
Red River Valley Retention Authority

Additional resources

International Joint Commission
www.ijc.org

Great Lakes Water Compact
switchboard.nrdc.org

Issues facing the Great Lakes
iwla.org/Great Lakes

Minnesota's groundwater
www.dnr.state.mn.us/groundwater

Minnehaha Creek Watershed District's Comprehensive Water Resources Management Plan
www.minnehahacreek.org/comp-plan

Farm Bill
iwla.org/agriculture

Red River Valley Retention Authority
redriverretention.net