About Us

We inspire people and organizations to value, protect and improve the Cannon River Watershed’s land and water.

A community that creates and protects a watershed with healthy soils; drinkable groundwater; and clean, fishable, and swimmable rivers, lakes, and streams.

Build Resilience

We build individual and community capacity to act in ways that are economically, environmentally, and culturally sustainable, even in the face of adversity. Everything we do on land shows up in the water.

Act Equitably

We work to create equitable and sustainable benefits from and access to the watershed and consider the impacts of our actions in all we say and do. Who will benefit from this? Who will be hurt by it?

Engage Intentionally

We meet people where they are and support them in what they’re doing to improve the watershed. Everyone can do something to help the watershed.

Inspire Hope

Our work is driven forward because we believe that there are actions that people and communities can take to make a difference for the land, water, and climate. People can change our environment.

View our 2024-46 strategic framework.

CRP began as the Cannon River Watershed Partnership in 1990. The Cannon River Watershed consists of most of Steele, Rice, and Goodhue Counties and parts of Waseca, Le Sueur, and Dakota Counties in southeastern Minnesota. The organization was founded by community members who wanted to bring together the local government units (LGUs) that had jurisdiction over practices and infrastructure in the watershed—namely the six county governments and six soil and water conservation districts—for conversation and coordination. At that time, our board was made up of one elected official from each of these entities and seven members who were community representatives.

In 2021, we changed our name and our governance structure, in part because an entity named the Cannon River Watershed Joint Powers Organization had been recently formed as a result of the State of Minnesota’s “One Watershed, One Plan” effort, administered by the Board of Soil and Water Resources. The LGUs thus had this new forum, funded by the State of Minnesota, to work through their coordination efforts. However, our nonprofit mission became more important than ever. We connect stakeholders to actions that protect and improve the natural systems of our watershed in ways that LGUs cannot. CRP brings together partners with diverse responsibilities, interests, and backgrounds to co-create a resilient watershed.

Today, we have more than 350 active members from 46 communities. 17 of those members serve on our Board of Directors. We continue to establish and strengthen connections and partnerships in area communities to benefit the land and water in the Cannon River Watershed and beyond.