Where Are We Going, and Are We There Yet? (Understanding our Water Resources to Inform Action).

How do you measure and manage 12,000+ lakes and more than 90,000 miles of rivers and streams in 80 watersheds? One of the perennial challenges of water resource management is determining where to target management actions, and if those actions are making a difference. This challenge is especially formidable in a water-rich state like Minnesota. Fortunately, the advent of the Clean Water Legacy Act and the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment has allowed Minnesota to build a robust system to understand water quality conditions and trends across the state. This systematic approach – which includes measures of biological, physical and chemical health – is shaping policy and actions to meet Minnesota’s clean water goals. In this presentation, Shannon Lotthammer will briefly describe the systematic approach and highlight examples of how enhanced understanding of Minnesota water resources is helping to affect change in Minnesota.