Nine Mile Creek Watershed District

Citizen Advisory Committee
2007 Workplan

January 8, 2007

The Nine Mile Creek Watershed District maintains an active Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC). The CAC is a volunteer committee of citizens concerned about the water resources of the Nine Mile Creek Watershed.

In 2006, the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District conducted a survey of the CAC to determine the level of interest in participating in the CAC, the programs CAC members thought were beneficial, and the programs and activities the CAC members thought the CAC should be involved in.

Following the survey, the CAC spent several months identifying activities, programs, and projects the CAC should be active in as well as ways to improve the CAC. The 2007 CAC Work Plan reflects these efforts and outlines activities for the CAC in 2007 and the future.

Nine Mile Creek Watershed District Citizen Advisory Committee Vision

The vision of the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) is to serve as liaisons to the communities with in the watershed. The CAC will provide education and outreach programs, partner with the cities and other organizations, and perform community service projects to improve the water quality and enhance the natural resources of the Nine Mile Creek Watershed.

The Citizen Advisory Committee exists to serve as a liaison between Nine Mile Watershed District and the communities it serves.

Item 1: CAC Workgroups

The CAC identified the need to make the committee more appealing to the broad interests of its membership. In order the accomplish this, the CAC felt that work groups should be formed regarding specific topics. Each work group will be made up of 3-4 CAC members that have an interest in a specific topic or issue. These work group will not be standing committees, but will meet and operate until the topic or issue as be adequately addressed. Below are work groups that the CAC felt could be formed immediately.

A..Rules – The Rules work group will review proposed rules as the District is going through its rules update process. B. Education Programs for CAC and Public – This work group will identify education needs for both the CAC and the general public. They will work with the District Administrator and the CAC Chair to develop education programs to address the identified needs. C. Project Specific – Work groups may be formed related to specific project that the District is or will be implementing

Item 2: Volunteer and Community Service Opportunities

One of the roles of the CAC is to assist in volunteer and community outreach projects. These projects should be aimed at great community involvement in protecting and enhancing the Nine Mile Creek Watershed. Projects and activities identified by the CAC include:

A. River and Community Clean Up Events – Clean up events can have significant, positive impacts on the water quality of our lakes and Nine Mile Creek. The CAC will host or participate in clean up events that will reduce the amount of leaves, grass clippings, and other debris that reaches the Creek. The events will be focused on raising community awareness about how individual actions impact our water quality.

B. Eyes & Ears in the Watershed – While the District has paid staff, they can not be everyway all the time. The CAC can serve as the eyes and ears of the watershed. If activities or issues of concern regarding the resources of the Nine Mile Creek Watershed arise, the CAC members can bring them to the attention of District staff and the Board of Managers.

C. Neighborhood Meetings/Forums – Education is a major component in the District’s Water Management Plan. The CAC can assist in achieving the District’s education and outreach goals by hosting neighborhood meetings and forums of water resource related topics specific to the neighborhoods or cities.

Item 3: Active & Passive Education

Education is a major focus of the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District. The CAC can play a significant role in accomplishing the District’s education goals through active and passive education. Active education is hands-on, face-to-face interaction with the general public, city staff, and elected officials. Active education is accomplished through meetings, presentations, events, and other opportunities to interact with people. Passive education is accomplished through the use of brochures, signs, and other ways that does not involve actual participation.

Examples of Active and Passive Education opportunities include:

A. Multi-cultural/Communities Focus
B. Neighborhood Meetings
C. Community Fairs/Events
D. Yard Maintenance for Water Quality
E. Signs
F. Stormdrain Marking Projects
G. Buffer Education

Item 4: Partnership Opportunities

Much of the work the District hopes to accomplish can not be done through engineered projects or solutions. It requires working with other groups and organizations to reach a greater number of people. Through partnerships, the District can accomplish its goals more efficiently and effectively.

Examples of potential partnership opportunities include:

A. Boy/Girl Scouts – Partner with Boy/Girl Scouts on clean up event, stormdrain marking, or other projects

B. National Night Out – Partner with neighborhoods and cities on National Night Out to include water resource/quality education in the events

C. Conservation & Environmental Organizations – Partner with various organizations that can help enhance District projects and education efforts

o Bush Lake Izaak Walton League
o Wild Ones
o Friends of the Minnesota Valley

D. Joint City/Watershed District Education/Information Materials – Work with cities to develop joint education materials about water quality, etc.

E. Schools – Partner with schools to build water resource education into the curriculum.