Fillmore SWCD

Promoting Natural Resource Stewardship

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Root River One Watershed, One Plan
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Cover Water and Rocks
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Cover Local Water Management
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River-and-Bluffs
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In early 2014, planning partners in the Root River watershed area joined together to submit a nomination to pilot the One Watershed, One Plan in the Root River Watershed.  In June, 2014, the Root River was selected as one of the five major watersheds across the state to pilot this program.

In December, 2016, the Root River One Watershed, One Plan was approved by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR), and was adopted by all 13 Local Government Unit (LGU) partners in 2017.

The Root River One Watershed, One Plan (RR 1W1P) is a 10-year planning document aimed at better managing water within a larger watershed planning area.  The document is the product of two years of LGU’s in the planning area working collaboratively with stakeholders, state agencies and community members.  Minnesota’s One Watershed, One Plan initiative is designed to align water planning on major watershed boundaries with prioritized, targeted and measurable watershed plans developed and implemented locally.  The five pilot programs have pioneered Minnesota’s water future, setting the groundwork to permanently improve water quality across the state.  As of May, 2022, there are 26 watersheds across Minnesota with an approved One Watershed, One Plan.

The RR 1W1P planning area encompasses more than 1.3 million acres, which is spread across 6 counties: Dodge, Fillmore, Houston, Mower, Olmsted and Winona.  It includes the entire Root River Watershed along with Minnesota’s portion of the Upper Iowa River Watershed, and Houston County’s Mississippi-Reno Watershed.  The 13 LGU’s involved in the RR 1W1P are:

In 2023, the RR 1W1P reached the midpoint in its 10-year plan lifespan. 
After six years of plan implementation, the Partnership is again piloting a new process to evaluate implementation efforts and assess progress toward plan measurable goals.  The intent of the 5-Year Assessment of the RR 1W1P was to:

  • Gather and compile data about work activities (projects, practices, or programs) implemented by local government implementers and their partners that contributed to reaching goals in the plan;
  • Compare the work activities (projects, practices, or programs) the Partnership completed with the work activities they set out to accomplish in the time frame specified by the plan;
  • Compare the resource results associated with projects, practices, or programs to the stated resource goals/outcomes in the plan.

      The process and outcomes from the 5-Year Assessment are summarized in the following reports:

Overview of the Results HEI Technical Memo

The Root River begins as a drainage ditch near Grand Meadow and continues eastward through stunning geologic diversity, including glacial till, karst topography, and bluffland karst , before emptying into the Mississippi River near Hokah.

View how groundwater moves in southeast Minnesota’s:

Till Landscape Karst Landscape Bluffland Karst Landscape

Karst, a major geologic feature of the RR 1W1P’s planning, is like the Swiss cheese of rock,
characterized by abundant sinkholes, caverns and underground waterways. 

As water flows through karst, it mixes surface water and groundwater, meaning pollutants on land can easily reach groundwater used for drinking.  It is a strong example of the need for watershed-based comprehensive water management.

Fillmore SWCD serves as both the fiscal agent of the RR 1W1P grant
as well as the day-to-day contact for administration and coordination of the grant.

If you have any questions regarding the plan, please contact Nikki Wheeler at 507-887-0240, or nikki.wheeler@fillmoreswcd.org.

More Information

Meetings and Reports

Root River One Watershed, One Plan 2021 Annual Report

RR 1W1P Policy Committee

A Policy Committee, made up of elected officials, has the primary role of making final decisions about the content of the watershed plan and its submittal to and approval by BWSR.  The Policy Committee and the members’ respective boards approved Joint Powers Agreement in 2017 to continue to operate cooperatively and collaboratively, but not as a separate entity, for the purpose of continued planning of, review of, advising on, and coordinating the implementation of the RR 1W1P.

November 25, 2024Agenda
August 26, 2024AgendaMinutes
May 20, 2024AgendaMinutes
February 26, 2024AgendaMinutes
November 27, 2023AgendaMinutes
August 28, 2023AgendaMinutes
May 22, 2023AgendaMinutes
January 30, 2023AgendaMinutes
September 26, 2022AgendaMinutes
June 27, 2022AgendaMinutes
March 21, 2022AgendaMinutes
December 20, 2021
(No quorum present)		AgendaNotes
September 20, 2021AgendaMinutes
June 21, 2021AgendaMinutes
February 22, 2021AgendaMinutes
November 23, 2020AgendaMinutes
August 24, 2020AgendaMinutes
June 22, 2020AgendaMinutes
February 24, 2020AgendaMinutes
January 9, 2020AgendaMinutes
February 28, 2019AgendaMinutes
November 28, 2018AgendaMinutes
June 11, 2018AgendaMinutes
January 29, 2018AgendaMinutes
August 28, 2017AgendaMinutes
March 20, 2017AgendaMinutes
December 19, 2016AgendaMinutes
September 26, 2019AgendaMinutes
June 13, 2016AgendaMinutes
April 11, 2016AgendaMinutes
January 4, 2016AgendaMinutes
November 30, 2015AgendaMinutes
November 2, 2015AgendaMinutes
August 31, 2015AgendaMinutes
July 6, 2015AgendaMinutes
June 3, 2015AgendaMinutes
May 4, 2015AgendaMinutes
April 6, 2015AgendaMinutes
March 2, 2015AgendaMinutes
January 21, 2015AgendaMinutes

RR 1W1P Advisory Committee

The purpose of an Advisory Committee is to make recommendations to the Policy Committee regarding identification of priority resources and targeted implementation for protecting and restoring water resources.

May 1, 2023
October 18, 2021AgendaNotes
November 4, 2019AgendaMinutes
March 19, 2019AgendaMinutes
November 13, 2018AgendaMinutes
March 20, 2018AgendaMinutes
July 19, 2017AgendaMinutes
March 9, 2017AgendaMinutes
October 19, 2015AgendaMinutes
August 21, 2015AgendaMinutes
June 30, 2015AgendaMinutes
April 29, 2015AgendaMinutes

RR 1W1P Planning Work Group

The purpose of the Planning Work Group is to: develop the annual workplan and present it to the Policy Committee for approval; to collaboratively develop, review and submit a Biennial Budget Request from the RR 1W1P to BWSR, and; to provide the Policy Committee with an annual update on the progress of implementation.

 May 1, 2023
April 11, 2023
December 9, 2022AgendaNotes
October 12, 2022Agenda
August 23, 2022Agenda
July 29, 2022AgendaNotes
June 6, 2022AgendaNotes
March 14, 2022AgendaNotes
February 15, 2022AgendaNotes
November 30, 2021AgendaNotes
September 14, 2021AgendaNotes
July 14, 2021AgendaNotes
February 1, 2021AgendaNotes
November 10, 2020AgendaNotes
September 1, 2020AgendaNotes
August 6, 2020AgendaNotes
June 15, 2020AgendaNotes
May 26, 2020AgendaNotes
February 20, 2020AgendaNotes
November 18, 2021AgendaNotes
October 21, 2018AgendaNotes
August 29, 2018AgendaNotes
July 18, 2018AgendaNotes
March 19, 2019AgendaNotes
October 23, 2018AgendaNotes
August 29, 2018AgendaNotes
June 11, 2018AgendaNotes
May 22, 2018AgendaNotes
April 24, 2018AgendaNotes
February 21, 2018Agenda
January 9, 2018AgendaNotes
November 28, 2017AgendaNotes
July 10, 2017Agenda
May 22, 2017AgendaNotes
February 27, 2017AgendaNotes
August 8, 2016AgendaNotes
May 17, 2016AgendaNotes
January 4, 2016AgendaNotes
November 30, 2015AgendaNotes
November 2, 2015AgendaNotes
October 19, 2015AgendaNotes
September 4, 2015AgendaNotes
August 21, 2015AgendaNotes
August 5, 2015AgendaNotes
July 20, 2015AgendaNotes
July 6, 2015AgendaNotes
June 3, 2015AgendaNotes
May 4, 2015AgendaNotes
April 6, 2015AgendaNotes
March 17, 2015AgendaNotes
March 2, 2015AgendaNotes
February 13, 2015AgendaNotes
January 21, 2015AgendaNotes
December 11, 2014AgendaNotes
November 20, 2014AgendaNotes
October 22, 2014AgendaNotes
September 24, 2014AgendaNotes
August 27, 2014AgendaNotes
July 23, 2014Agenda

State and Federal Programs

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

CRP is a land conservation program administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA)
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Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP)

Fillmore SWCD in partnership with the local USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service annually conducts an Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) Local Work Group Meeting.
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Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)

MN CREP is a voluntary, federal-state funded natural resource conservation program that uses a science based approach to target environmentally sensitive land in 54 Counties in southern and western Minnesota.
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Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP)

Opportunity for farmers and agricultural landowners to take the lead in implementing conservation practices that protect our water.
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State Cost Share

The Fillmore SWCD annually receives cost-share funds from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources to assist landowners with implementation of erosion control practices.
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Root River One Watershed, One Plan (RR 1W1P)

A 10-year planning document aimed at better managing water within a larger watershed planning area
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Root River Field to Stream Partnership

Collects data using edge-of-field and in-stream monitoring on a small watershed scale to characterize water quality in three small watersheds within the Root River watershed.
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Volunteer Nitrate Monitoring (VNMN)

The Volunteer Nitrate Monitoring Network (VNMN) has been an active program in Southeast Minnesota since 2006.
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Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM)

The Reinvest in Minnesota Resources Act was enacted to restore certain marginal and environmental sensitive agricultural land to protect soil and water quality and support fish and wildlife habitat.
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Wetland Conservation Act (WCA)

The wetland Conservation Act is implemented at the local level by the local government unit or “LGU”
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Watershed Pollutant Load Monitoring Network

A network of state and federal agencies, the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, state colleges and universities, and local partners that collect data on water quality and flow throughout the state.
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