Nine Mile Creek Watershed District hires an
administrator and will open an office in Edina

Edina, Minn. – The Nine Mile Creek Watershed District is excited to announce the hiring of Kevin Bigalke as its District Administrator. Bigalke comes to Nine Mile Creek Watershed District from the Friends of the Minnesota Valley, where he served as their Director of Conservation Programs. With a wide range of experience from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), a nonprofit organization and a local water quality board in Greater Minnesota, Bigalke will bring new perspectives and new ways of doing things to the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District. 

As the Nine Mile Creek administrator, Bigalke’s first and top priority will be the 10-year Water Management Plan update. Bigalke hopes to “continue to keep the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District as a leader in watershed management and to improve on the health of the District’s lakes and Nine Mile Creek.” Education and outreach is another top priority for him, and this is one of the functions of the District’s Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC). 

Bigalke’s first encounter with the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District’s residents in this capacity will be at the Nine Mile Creek Holiday Get-Together on Wednesday, December 21st, at 6:30 p.m. at the Watershed District’s new office at Edina Business Center, 7710 Computer Avenue, Suite 135, Edina. Bigalke views the volunteer Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC) as an important part of the Watershed District and looks forward to working with its membership. The CAC serves as the eyes and ears of the Board of Managers, alerting the Board of any water quality issues, erosion issues, or development concerns. The CAC assists the Board in updating its 10-year Water Management Plan, required by the state Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR). The managers are now working on updating this plan, so Bigalke’s expertise and his interaction with the CAC on this matter will be very helpful. Bigalke knows the value and resourcefulness of volunteers from his experience at nonprofit Friends of the Minnesota Valley.

“I have always been a strong advocate for creating and working with partnerships. This was an important part of my work with the Friends and all my previous positions, creating and maintaining partnerships that resulted in on-the-ground watershed improvement and cultural change. Non-profit work also requires creativity, whether it is through funding or alternative ways to solve a problem or approach an issue,” Bigalke says. 

Bigalke brings a wealth of experience in watershed management that will lend itself well for the District, including positions with the Friends of the Minnesota Valley, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Lower Minnesota River Watershed District. He received is Bachelor of Arts Degree in biology from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter and received his master’s degree in public administration from Minnesota State University at Mankato.

Bigalke’s interest in natural resources and water began at an early age. Growing up in New London, Minnesota, he said he was “always in the outdoors camping, hunting or fishing.” “My dad was a biology teacher, so I learned a great deal about science and natural resources at home as well as in school. Growing up in west central Minnesota with so many lakes was a big influence as well. I always had access to some lake or river. That somewhat spoiled me, but also instilled a need to conserve and improve our natural resources,” notes Bigalke. 

Bigalke aims to increase public awareness about the watershed district’s ability as a local and regional governmental entity to make significant, positive improvements in the health of our water resources. He says it all starts with local residents, who can make sure they are managing the water that runs off their property by directing gutters to grassy areas, raking grass clippings and leaves out of the curbs, and using proper amounts of phosphorus-free fertilizer. “Small individual efforts can have a significant cumulative impact on the health of our lakes and rivers,” he comments.

Bigalke started the job November 14th, and the District will open an office on December 1, 2005, located at Edina Business Center, 7710 Computer Avenue, Suite 135, Edina. Residents of the Watershed District are invited to attend the Board of Managers' regular meetings on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. Check the District website for future meeting locations. Any resident interested in water issues may attend the Citizens' Advisory Committee meetings also on the third Wednesday of each month, at 6:30 p.m. at the same location unless otherwise noted on the website. Visit the website at www.ninemilecreek.org. 

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