The Cedar River Watershed District is making waves.

The CRWD and watershed efforts in general are gaining steam this year with several high-profile projects either in the works or already funded. The CRWD also secured state bonding money to work on flooding prevention projects in the area, the first time the organization has done so since its start in 2007. With so much going on, waterways officials hope to ramp up awareness for even more projects in the future.

“We’re really excited about the opportunities,” said Justin Hanson, resource specialist for the CRWD and Mower County’s Soil & Water Conservation District.

Hanson has plenty to be excited about. The CRWD finished up its first major project at the beginning of the year, on property in Lansing Township. CRWD officials completed the district’s first impoundment project focused on flood-damage reduction throughout 2013.

The impoundment slows stormwater flows to the Cedar River and provides a holding area for any upstream runoff. Ponds created by the project are designed to store stormwater and allow excess dirt and agricultural runoff to settle and be treated before being released to the Cedar River.

In addition, the CRWD has gathered several funding sources in recent memory for future projects.

CRWD officials announced in March they received $1.5 million from the Minnesota Clean Water Fund to move forward on a $2.1 million initiative to implement a series of projects along the Dobbins Creek Watershed’s 25,700 acres over the next few years. The projects, which will take place northeast of Austin, will tackle several issues such as field erosion, holding water and sediment before it gets to Dobbins Creek, treating nutrients between the fields and creek, stabilizing eroding streambanks and restoring in channel features that support plant and animal life.

The approach will improve overall aquatic life in Dobbins Creek and in the area.

“What we’re trying to do is get away from this box cutter, cookie cutter type planning for protecting our resources,” Hanson said.

He’s doing just that by working with the county’s SWCD to partner with nearby watershed districts in implementing a long-range plan for the Root River, part of which starts in Mower County. That would mean working with other entities within the Root River Watershed District, which includes Winona, Fillmore, Houston, Olmsted and Dodge counties.

If several watershed districts work together on a long-range plan to address multiple aspects inside the watershed, it could provide more opportunities for larger funding, which means more waterways projects could get funded in new ways.

It’s an approach many watershed districts are taking as competition for funding sources increases, according to Hanson.

“It puts us in a better position,” Hanson said. “We’re lucky that we have really good districts around us. We’ve got folks around us that are really go-getters.”

The CRWD will get soon get active on projects this summer, according to Hanson. The watershed is applying for access to bonding funding which lawmakers approved this legislative session, and Hanson said CRWD officials are weighing their options over which projects to fund. The watershed district hopes to improve relations with local landowners as well as government entities to address several projects in the coming months, and Hanson said the CRWD will likely release more news about upcoming projects soon.

“There are great things going on in the district,” he said.