Turkey River Watershed Commission might be formed

Representatives from eleven communities, five counties and four Soil and Water Conservation Districts are discussing forming a Turkey River Watershed Management Authority.

The Turkey River Watershed covers over a million acres, including portions of Winneshiek County and six other counties in Northeast Iowa.

The Turkey River Watershed Management Authority would seek to assess and reduce flood risk; assess and improve water quality; monitor federal flood risk planning and activities; educate residents of the watershed regarding flood risks and water quality; and allocate moneys made available to the authority for purposes of water quality and flood mitigation.

If the local governments want to form a Turkey River Watershed Management Authority, the city councils, county boards of supervisors and SWCDs would have to sign a 28E Agreement and file it with the State of Iowa before June 30th.