Sand County Foundation's Leadership for Midwestern Watersheds is a popular forum for professionals who lead projects that reduce agricultural runoff in watersheds of the central United States.

Leadership for Midwestern Watersheds is developing a “community of practice” among conservation practitioners who work to improve water quality with landowners, agencies, and businesses, one watershed at a time.

The annual LMW meeting series features presentations and facilitated discussions on subjects essential to successful watershed projects. Examples include: farmer engagement, geospatial planning tools, project financing, and water quality monitoring. To date, more than 500 attendees from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and beyond have participated, including many watershed projects supported by state nutrient reduction programs and USDA-NRCS Landscape Conservation Initiatives.

Sand County Foundation is a collaborator in The Confluence for Watershed Leaders. This online networking platform is for conservation practitioners and farmers who are involved in watershed work to connect with peers, share advice and opportunities. This growing community of people are working to achieve healthy watersheds and thriving communities near the Great Lakes and Mississippi River. Join the online community.

In 2020 we completed a detailed survey of 103 watershed project leaders in the Upper Midwest. The survey explores professional development needs and learning and networking opportunities among this community. Read about the results in this blog post.

Executive summary here (4 pages)

Full survey results and analysis (134 pages)