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A Joint and Cooperative Agreement -for the Middle Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization 103B.255 The Metropolitan Water Management Act, requires that Minnesota Statutes Sections 103B.201 to P a Watershed Management Plan be developed for each watershed in the Metropolitan area. There are two types of organizations that are allowed under this Act to develop Watershed Management Plans: watershed management organizations (WMO)and watershed management districts(WMD). WMOs are a joint powers entity of local government units that appoint the watershed commission. WMDs,established and regulated under Minnesota Statute Chapter 103D,are managed by a board appointed by county commissioners. WMOs allow for greater local government control over their water resources and more flexibility in its management. In the past,WMOs have not been particularly active in the metropolitan area. As a result,the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources(BWSR),which has oversight responsibility for watershed planning in Minnesota, decertified several inactive WMOs and turned the programs over to county boards. A problem noted by BWSR and the Legislature was that,unlike WMDs,WMOs did not have significant power. A few years ago the Legislature granted WMOs levying authority similar to WMDs. The state made this change to encourage cities to become more active in managing their water resources in an effort to prevent future decertification. A watershed is a way of looking at the interconnection of our surface waters with each other and with the ground water below. The watershed includes rivers,creeks,lakes,ponds,wetlands and the land that drain into those surface waters,as well as the aquifers below them.Watershed management is the process by which waters are managed,protected, enhanced,and restored through comprehensive and holistic approaches. Enclosed you will find the final draft of the Joint and Cooperative Agreement(JCA)of the Middle Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization(MMRWMO). The JCA is the result of work over the past year • by representatives of the Cities of Minneapolis, Saint Paul,Lauderdale,Falcon Heights,the Village of Saint Anthony and representatives of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and the University of Minnesota. The BWSR has also worked closely with us in the drafting of the JCA. They believe we have a sound document that could serve as a model for other communities in the metro area. Participation in the drafting process has been excellent, and the quality of ideas presented was impressive. I believe we have crafted a JCA that all the jurisdictions should be able to wholeheartedly endorse. It is an Agreement which holds great promise for the future of the Mississippi River,while at the same time protecting the integrity of local governments decisions making authority Perhaps the most important power given to the Commission is the power to develop a five year Watershed undertaken to improve the watershed. These t Plan. That plan sets forth the projects that will be p Management p P projects fall broadly into three areas: water quantity(flood control),water quality and natural resources. These last two areas include such things as best management practices to improve water quality and reforestation and habitat restoration. The projects identified in The Watershed Management Plan would be funded on a city by city basis. Funding would be by a levy or other financial mechanisms. In other words,each city is identified as a subwatershed, wherein approved projects would be financed through a levy or other financial mechanisms at the discretion of the local Council. Any one can request a project,but local Council approval from the affected subwatersheds and Commission approval must occur prior to any funding and implementation. In contrast,WMD projects are funded by a levy without any local approval and do not have to benefit those assessed. The Watershed Management Plan provides cities with a plan to protect and enhance water resources. The MMRWMO can be • a tool for realization of significant improvements and enhancements to the Mississippi River.