Comprised of vast reaches of the upper Mississippi River valley and its dramatic blufflands, this region includes some of Minnesota's most active river systems, groundwater-nourished lakes and fertile farmland. It is in this setting that we increasingly see interaction and conflict between recreational and agricultural uses of the land. An emerging theme for our work in the South is that of establishing easements within the watersheds of the Cannon, Zumbro and Root rivers. While these rivers give this area its scenic charm and provide significant habitat for its still-abundant wildlife, they also carry agricultural pollutants directly into the Mississippi.

Dotted with potholes and shallow lakes, the flat expanses of the Minnesota River Valley watershed and the tallgrass prairie of southwestern Minnesota are now in intensive agricultural use. But conservation opportunities remain. With resources limited, the Minnesota Land Trust has just begun to work in this region.

In coordination with the Blufflands Alliance (a multi-state coalition of land trusts) and local communities, we have completed 48 projects in the Southeast Region, including our largest project: 2,700 acres of Mississippi River floodplain near Red Wing.

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