Shell Rock Watershed Management Coalition open house is Nov. 15

To The Press

The Shell Rock River Watershed Management Coalition (WMC) will host a public open house on Wednesday, Nov. 15, in Nora Springs.

Attendees will learn more about the watershed management plan, as well as review the draft water quality, flooding and recreation improvement recommendations.

No formal presentation will be made, and interested persons can drop in anytime.

The coalition is developing a watershed management plan to address water quality, flood resiliency and recreation concerns in the watershed, said Ken Nelson, chair of the coalition.

“The plan will identify and prioritize projects and activities that will be implemented through voluntary cooperation between WMC members, farmers and other stakeholders,” Nelson said.

Following initial public input that was gathered in the spring, the open house will allow people to review the draft plan recommendations and speak with the planning team about best management practices.

The Shell Rock River Watershed covers more than 530,000 acres in Iowa starting at the Iowa and Minnesota border. The full watershed, including area in Freeborn County in Minnesota, is about 691,000 acres.

In Iowa it covers portions of seven counties – Floyd, Mitchell, Cerro Gordo, Worth, Butler, Winnebago and Bremer.

The WMC is a voluntary coalition of six Iowa counties, four cities, and six soil and water conservations districts. The watershed management planning process began in fall 2022 and will be completed in early 2024, with JEO Consulting Group assisting the WMC in development of the plan.

“Members of the WMC and the planning team will be available at the meeting to answer questions and gather public feedback related to water quality, flooding and recreation within the watershed,” Nelson said. “Meeting materials will be available for review and comment following the open house.”

The meeting will be held Nov. 15 at the Nora Springs City Hall, 45 N. Hawkeye Ave.

In 2021, several cities, counties and soil and water conservation districts (SWCDs) voluntarily joined to create the Shell Rock River Watershed Management Coalition.

The coalition includes the cities of Nora Springs, Northwood, Plymouth and Shell Rock, the counties of Bremer, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Mitchell and Worth, and the Soil and Water Conservation Districts from Bremer, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Mitchell and Worth counties.

The watershed planning process is anticipated to be complete by early 2024.

For more information, visit www.jeo.com/shell-rock-river-wmc. The WMC can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ShellRockWMC and on Twitter at @Shellrockwater.