Hours: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm   |   (320) 589-5961   |   12 Hwy 28 E. Ste 2, Morris MN 56267

Get Involved

There are lots of ways to help the Watershed, no matter who you are.

The Pomme de Terre River Association welcomes all levels of community involvement to ensure our watershed stays healthy and strong for us and future generations. There are many opportunities to get involved in this stewardship.

ATTEND AN EVENT

To see our upcoming outreach events and educational opportunities, CLICK HERE.

Citizen Science

What is Citizen Science? You don't have to be a scientist to help take care of the place you live. Citizen Science can mean just paying a little closer attention to what's around you — a bird at the feeder, a wildflower in the ditch, a fish in the creek — and jotting it down. Over time, those small observations add up to a richer picture of what's living in the Pomme de Terre Watershed, and how it's changing. We're asking families, landowners, and anyone who spends time outdoors in the watershed to try one (or more) of the free apps below. No training, no obligation — just notice something, snap a photo, and see what it is.

Shoreline Stewardship

If you own land along a lake, stream, or creek in the Pomme de Terre Watershed, the plants (or lack of them) along your shoreline make a real difference. Our partners in Otter Tail County created these materials (linked in the title) to provide a good starting point for responsibly caring for one's waterfront. A little work along the water's edge protects your property and the lake or stream everyone downstream depends on.

WANT TO JUMP INTO ACTION?

For families: Turn a walk, a fishing trip, or an afternoon in the backyard into a little adventure. Snap a photo of a bug, a bird, a plant you don’t recognize — apps like Seek and iNaturalist will help you and your kids figure out what you’re looking at, right on the spot. It’s a simple way to spend more time outside together and start recognizing the neighbors you share this land with.

For landowners and producers: You already know this land better than anyone — you’ve watched the same fields, fence lines, and creek bottoms for years. These apps are just a handy way to keep track of what you’re seeing, season to season and letting others benefit from your expertise. That new bird nesting in the windbreak, the wildflowers coming back in a filter strip, a plant you don’t recognize showing up in the pasture. No forms, no obligations — just a photo and an ID, if and when it’s useful to you.

Here are 10 suggestions for how to protect the watershed in your day to day:

For landowners:

  1. Maintain Your Well – If you’re on a private well, have it tested periodically and keep it properly sealed and maintained. A well-cared-for well protects your family and keeps contaminants out of the groundwater everyone shares.
  2. Build Riparian Buffers – Leave or plant grass, trees, and shrubs along creeks, ditches, and wetlands. Buffer strips slow runoff, filter out sediment and nutrients before they reach the water, and hold banks in place.
  3. Manage Nutrients and Chemicals Carefully – Follow soil test recommendations and label directions when applying fertilizer, manure, or pesticides, and watch the weather — skip applications ahead of heavy rain. What isn’t used by the crop is what ends up in the creek.
  4. Keep Livestock Access to Water Controlled – Fencing cattle out of streams and ponds, or providing an alternate water source, protects both water quality and pasture health.
  5. Manage Drainage Thoughtfully – Whether it’s tile, ditches, or grassed waterways, well-maintained drainage moves water efficiently while reducing erosion and sediment loss.

For everyone:

  1. Know Your Water – Learn where your household water comes from (well or rural water system) and where it goes after you’re done with it. Knowing your own water source is the first step to protecting it.
  2. Prevent the Spread of Invasive Species – Clean, Drain, Dry your boat and gear after time on any lake or river. Never release live bait, aquarium fish, or plants into the wild — it only takes one release to introduce a problem that lasts generations.
  3. Reduce Runoff Around Your Home – Direct downspouts onto lawns rather than pavement, sweep up (don’t hose down) grass clippings and driveways, and pick up pet waste. Small choices around the house add up downstream.
  4. Get Outside With Your Family – Take a walk along the creek, go fishing, or spend an afternoon at a local park or wetland. Time outdoors builds the kind of appreciation for this land that lasts a lifetime — and it’s how the next generation learns to care for it too.
  5. Support Local Watershed Efforts – Attend a meeting, volunteer for a project, or just stay in touch with what’s happening in the Pomme de Terre Watershed. Local knowledge and local involvement are what keep conservation work grounded in what actually works here.