BWSR was formed in 1987 by consolidating three smaller agencies - the Soil and Water Conservation Board, the Water Resources Board and the Southern Minnesota Rivers Basin Council were merged into one state agency in order to provide more efficient and effective state support to local government.

Seventeen voting members serve on the board.

Five members represent state agencies:

    Department of Natural Resources
    Pollution Control Agency
    Department of Health
    Department of Agriculture
    University of Minnesota

The Governor appoints 12 members to staggered four-year terms:

    Three county commissioners
    Three soil and water conservation district supervisors
    Three watershed district or watershed management organization representatives
    Three members of the public

The mission of the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources is to assist local governments to manage and conserve their irreplaceable water and soil resources.

Local Implementation:

Local units of government working directly with landowners, resource management agencies and citizens to provide a grassroots approach to water and soil protection efforts.

Voluntary Implementation:

Education and incentives influence individuals to voluntarily implement resource management practices that protect water and soil resources.

Comprehensive and Collaborative Management:

Natural resource issues and problems seldom follow political boundaries or are solvable by the efforts of one individual, group or agency. Local governments help bring people and their local political structures together to meet the challenges of managing soil and water resources wisely.

Encourage local resource planning and protection efforts by:

Continuing to use the Comprehensive Local Water Planning process, and using a Watershed-based Management approach.

Support local resource management activities by:

Providing a forum to foster working relationships, and enhancing the effectiveness of BWSR programs.

Develop and maintain the capability to deliver competent service to local units of government, especially in the areas of:

Soil conservation, engineering, wetlands, groundwater, information management, communication, planning and administration.

The Board would like to see BCWMC assemble a performance-based plan that addresses the needs of the watershed’s land and water resources. At a minimum, the plan is required to address the following items:

• Create an earnest opportunity for stakeholder involvement

• Provide a narrative which concisely states the current and future role, and philosophy of the organization for managing the watershed

• Provide a tabulation specific problems/issues/ opportunities

• Identify and address exceptional resources in the watershed

• Details who will do what, when, and for how much

• Identify the methods for measuring success and revision strategies over time