Two seats on the Cedar River Watershed District’s Board of Managers will become available next month as two original members won’t seek re-appointment to another term.

CRWD Board President Al Layman and Manager Harlen Peck, a former CRWD board president, each plan not to seek three-year terms as district managers. Layman and Peck have served on the CRWD board since its inception in 2007 as two of Mower County’s four district managers and helped the new watershed through numerous, extensive formation processes, such as creating rules to govern certain activities in the watershed and a 10-year water management plan.

“We greatly appreciate the hard work and service that Al and Harlen have provided to the CRWD as well as everyone who lives in the watershed district,” said Bev Nordby, CRWD administrator. “We wish them both the very best.”

Completed applications for CRWD district manager are due by April 16 and must be submitted to Craig Oscarson, Mower County Coordinator, 201 1st St. N.E., Austin, MN, 55912. For an application, contact Oscarson at 507-437-9549.

Interested applicants must reside in Mower County and within the Cedar River Watershed District as well as be able to attend meetings and special meetings as necessary. The Mower County Board of Commissioners will review applications and decide whom to appoint to the CRWD board. County boards from each of the CRWD’s four counties — Mower, Dodge, Freeborn and Steele — appoint district managers from their own county to serve on the watershed board.

Mower County has four seats on the seven-member CRWD board because it has a majority of the land in the 278,540-acre watershed district. Nearly a year ago, the Mower County Board considered applicants for a seat on the CRWD board vacated by original district manager Dan Regner. The board appointed Mike Merten for that spot.

State and local officials formed the CRWD in April 2007 in response to the Cedar River Watershed’s top, worst-known floods occurring in 2000 and 2004. The CRWD’s priorities are reducing flooding and improving water quality within the Cedar River Watershed.