Volunteer program extends to Minnesota River

In fall 2015, Great River Greening brought its volunteer program to work on the Minnesota River, through the Seven Mile Creek Watershed Partnership.More than 80 volunteers spent two days on farms in St. Peter to restore water quality to a local trout stream, Seven Mile Creek. These events are the first of a series that will continue into next year. They shine a light on some of the everyday things that farmers are doing for water quality, and bring people who may have no experience in a rural environment to a working farm.  About Seven Mile Creek Watershed Partnership The Seven Mile Creek Watershed Partnership is a broad coalition representing conservation, agriculture, community and recreation groups led by Great River Greening and the Nicollet SWCD. We are driven by the conviction that modern farming methods, a vibrant farm economy, and excellent water quality are not mutually exclusive. The Partnership seeks to demonstrate that the best way to reverse Minnesota’s troubling water quality trends is to ensure that conservation activities add to a farm’s bottom line. We work to achieve this by taking a flexible and collaborative approach to traditional conservation assistance today, while seeking more sustainable long-term solutions for the future. To date, the Partnership has worked with about 20% of the watershed’s farmers to install 33 conservation best management practices and add 26 acres of buffer strips along ditches and field edges. Partners and Funders: Seven Mile Creek Watershed residents and farmers, Seven Mile Creek Watershed Partnership, Nicollet SWCD, Bush Foundation, University of Minnesota, Minnesota Clean Water Fund.