Stewardship of water resources to protect and enhance our communities

The main goals of the BCWMC for 2005-2014 as outlined in the plan are:

• Manage the water resources of the watershed, with input from the public, so that the beneficial uses of wetlands, lakes and streams remain available to the community.
• Improve the quality of stormwater runoff reaching the Mississippi River by reducing the nonpoint source pollution (including sediment) carried as stormwater runoff.
• Protect and enhance fish and wildlife habitat and maintain shoreland integrity.
• Reduce flooding along the Bassett Creek trunk system.
• Protect human life, property, and surface water systems that could be damaged by flood events.
• Regulate stormwater runoff discharges and volumes to minimize flood problems, flood damages, and the future costs of stormwater management systems.
• Provide leadership and assist member cities with coordination of intercommunity stormwater runoff planning and design.
• Prevent erosion and sedimentation to the greatest extent possible to protect the BCWMC’s water resources from increased sediment loading and associated water quality problems.
• Implement soil protection and sedimentation controls whenever necessary to maintain health, safety, and welfare.
• Implement stream restoration measures whenever necessary to maintain health, safety, and welfare.
• Maintain or enhance the natural beauty and wildlife habitat value of Bassett Creek.
• Achieve no net loss of wetlands in the BCWMC, in conformance with the Minnesota Wetland Conservation Act and associated rules.
• Protect the quantity and quality of groundwater resources.
• Manage public ditches in a manner that recognizes their current use as urban drainage systems.
• Raise awareness of the watershed’s existence and the role that the BCWMC plays in protecting water quality and preserving the watershed’s health and aesthetics.
• Enable the target audiences to have confidence in the BCWMC’s expertise and participate in a meaningful way in the planning process and ongoing projects conducted by the BCWMC.
• Raise awareness of the impact that individuals, businesses, and organizations have upon water quality and motivate these audiences to change personal/corporate behavior that has a negative impact on water quality and the watershed.