Engaging Community Officials to Improve Aquatic Resources

Impacts from development on streams and lakes have been detailed in numerous studies throughout the past decades.  The effects of forest cover and wetland loss, and the role of impervious surfaces in increasing peak flows, accelerating erosion, altering channel profiles, importing nutrients and contaminants, and warming the stream flows can lead to significant degradation of these aquatic ecosystems.  Understanding the impacts, however, is only one part of addressing the issues.  Since so many of the impacts are directly related to development, and development in the U.S. is largely controlled by local units of government, engaging with them is critical to maintaining and improving aquatic ecosystems.  Northland NEMO (Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials) is one of 32 NEMO programs nationwide who work directly with local government officials to help them understand their role in protecting streams and lakes.  Northland NEMO provides customized educational programming for local governments, with tools designed to help these local government officials identify plans, policies, and practices to both protect and reduce impacts on their aquatic resources.  This project will describe how Northland NEMO engages with communities and provide examples of planning, policies, and practices implemented by Minnesota communities to improve aquatic resources.