Open house Thursday to discuss watershed management plan for Winnebago River

MASON CITY — An open house will be held Thursday afternoon as part of the ongoing effort to develop a long-term watershed management plan for the Winnebago River.

The Winnebago River Watershed Management Coalition chairman Ken Nelson of Thornton says they are shaping a plan based on local input to address several priorities. “The coalition is a group of cities, with county, and soil and water conservation districts, basically to address concerns with the river watershed. The plan kind of ends up being our bible of what needs to be done within the river watershed. Our goals mainly are to reduce flooding risk, repair and enhance water quality, and improve recreational opportunities in the watershed.”

Nelson says the open house is an opportunity for the public to interact with the coalition to inform and educate people on the process. “Most importantly, it’s to receive input and feedback with their concerns and ideas for the watershed. We’re going to have six workstations and kind of feature watershed maps, overviews, and at specific stations for the quality, flooding and recreation. Each station will have a coalition member that they can interact with for questions and input.”

The open house takes place on Thursday from 4:30 to 6:30 PM, with the public able to come and go at any time during that time frame. It will be held at the Mason City Public Library at 225 2nd Southeast.