<![CDATA[LWV Upper Mississippi River Region

<![CDATA[LWV Upper Mississippi River Region - Blog]]>Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:09:41 -0500Weebly<![CDATA[Regulatory Capture - Tragedy of the Commons and the Clean Water Act]]>Mon, 05 Oct 2026 05:34:09 GMThttps://www.lwvumrr.org/blog/regulatory-capture-tragedy-of-the-commons-and-the-clean-water-actOne area that the LWV UMRR Action Committee is engaged on is Regulatory Capture, also referred to as Corporate Capture. Regulatory capture is a phenomenon where regulators become unduly influenced by the industries they are tasked with regulating which compromises regulators’ ability to safeguard the public good.

Regulatory capture is a major contributing factor in the "tragedy of the commons" that we are seeing today. This Think Econ video does a great job of illustrating the tragedy of the commons, illustrating the environmental cost of overuse or spoiling of resources held in common by the people of an area. Regulatory capture works to lessen or eliminate the controls that protect a shared resource (like water, air, trees, minerals) in favor of those who directly benefit and can make short-term gains at the expense of long term protections.

The democratic ideal is governance in the public interest. Industries have more at stake in regulatory decisions than the individual members of the public, and so invest resources into influencing regulatory processes. It is much harder for individuals to exert this this kind of lobbying or coercive power. "When industry interests lack coordinated opposition from the public, policymaking power is at a particularly high risk of industry capture." (Georgetown Law Denny Center for Democratic Capitalism)

photo: from Think Econ video (YouTube) "What is the Tragedy of the Commons?"

Regulatory Capture is also a threat to the democratic ideal of governance in the public interest when corporate demands and shareholder value overwhelm regulatory obligations. According to the Georgetown Law Denny Center for Democratic Capitalism, regulations are often sacrificed in the contradiction between the corporate obligation to increase shareholder value and legislators’ duty to safeguard public welfare. Industry has greater lobbying and influence power over regulatory policymaking than individual voters or public interest groups so public concerns are often not as effective. Yet it is crucial that industry interests are balanced against long-term public needs and benefits. As the Denny Center points out, "When industry interests lack coordinated opposition from the public, policymaking power is at a particularly high risk of industry capture." That’s why the LWV UMRR Action Committee is expressly concerned about addressing Regulatory Capture and bringing it to the attention of voters.

One recent issue of concern to everyone in the Mississippi River basin is the reduction of regulations in the Clean Water Act (CWA) to protect the quality of water that enters the river from groundwater and wetlands.

Link to the Clean Water Act
For more than fifty years, the Clean Water Act (CWA) worked to reduce pollution and reverse the damage caused to our common resource of water. In the past four years, the CWA has been restricted and reduced, the definition of protected waters shrunk to not include the whole of flow in to our waters. In the Mississippi River basin, removing all groundwater and many wetlands from federal protection means that the water that enters the river slowly through the ground or from wetlands in the headwaters.

So what is the commons here? Is it the local area where the isolated wetlands are viewed as inconvenient roadblocks to economic development? Removing wetlands in water-rich areas may not affect that area, but is will serve to reduce flow into the tributaries that feed the Mississippi. Similarly, an area that has extensive ground water resources may overuse or pollute the resource, affecting the amount and quality of water that ends up in the river. It the commons a local issue, or a national one? Or is it both? Protection in local areas is necessary for the health of the entire river and all the communities that depend on the river for drinking water and transportation, as well as the flora and fauna that inhabit the watershed.

The graphic to the right shows how the upstream waters affect the river as a whole. This graphic was prepared by US EPA in 2017 to illustrate the "Clean Water Rule" that was proposed at that time. Current water rules, since the Sackett decision, have reversed these protections. The short term gains won by overuse or pollution of upstream waters will result in a tragedy of the commons for the Mississippi River.

The Mississippi River Ag and Water Desk's excellent reporting on the role and loss of wetlands in the Midwest is a good read.

References:
https://www.law.georgetown.edu/denny-center/blog/industry-capture-of-the-executive/
https://carleton.ca/ghostmanagement/regulatory-capture/
https://www.lwvumrr.org/blog/the-clean-water-act-implementation-after-sackett

]]><![CDATA[LWV UMRR Board Retreat in Winona - August 2026]]>Wed, 30 Sep 2026 04:08:11 GMThttps://www.lwvumrr.org/blog/lwv-umrr-board-retreat-in-winona-august-2026The LWV UMRR Board meets virtually five times a year (second Tuesday of even-numbered months), getting together in person only a year for the annual Board retreat. The retreats are held in cities along the Mississippi where we have a local member League to partner with on activities. 2024's retreat was in the Quad Cities, 2025 saw the Board in Alton/ St. Louis, and in 2026, the Board retreat was in Winona, Minnesota. This post on the LWV UMRR Blog outlines the retreat. The retreats help the Board members to build relationships and work together which is vital since their homes are spread across five states and all other meetings are virtual.

The 2026 retreat started with a public reception co-hosted with LWV Winona at the Winona History Center. Here, we had a great discussion with folks who care about the Mississippi River, highlighting the work that's going on to build community around the river and the people who live in the watershed. We met leaders from the Izaak Walton League, the Minnesota Well Owners Organization, LWV Winona and others. The display "Declaration 1776: the Big Bang of Democracy" was up at the History Center and then moved to the Winona Library for a period of time. Thanks to LWV Wheaton (IL) and Catherine Franczyk for bringing this display to Winona!

During the retreat, the Board onboarded six new board members and conducted two half-day formal board meetings chewing over the priority issues to study in the coming year. These issues affect the Mississippi River and are the planned program priorities for LWV UMRR Action. In the year to come, look for LWV UMRR to tie educational programs and on-line resources to these issues so folks who follow us can be informed and participate in actions to help keep enhance and protect the river.

The retreat also offered time to get to know one another informally, through a tour on the river, a visit to the Minnesota Museum of Marine Art and other interactions. And to get to know members of LWV Winona, a charter member of our ILO! Thank you, thank you, thank you to the LWV Winona League for their help in planning the retreat. LWV Winona is a powerful League doing the good work of protecting democracy in Winona County and beyond!

Working with affiliate organizations is also very important to LWV UMRR. The closing day of the retreat was when the Board reviewed their external affiliate relationships since collaboration with other organizations on the Mississippi River concerns is important to LWV UMRR's success.

At the retreat, we met with Anne Conway, President of the Izaak Walton League's Will Dilg chapter, based in Winona, and Steven Marking, representing the Izaak Walton League's Upper Mississippi Chapter, based in La Crosse. These chapters are involved in protecting the river by working to build a community of people who use the river for recreation, commerce and more. Given the alignment of our two organizations' missions, we agreed to begin to find ways to work together. Steven Marking is also an entertainer working on riverboat cruises and other venues to share stories and songs about the Mississippi River. Learn more about Steven here.

Winona has many interesting personalities. At the public reception, we meet Billy X Curmano an artist and musician who (in addition to many other adventures) swam the length of the Mississippi over ten years.

]]><![CDATA[Time to Renew Your League’s Membership!]]>Wed, 30 Sep 2026 02:23:20 GMThttps://www.lwvumrr.org/blog/time-to-renew-your-leagues-membership The League of Women Voters Upper Mississippi River Region (UMRR) ILO deeply appreciates all member Leagues which make up our Inter-League Organization (ILO). While our work focuses on Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin, our efforts impact the entire Mississippi. In these unprecedented times your UMRR membership is even more important.

Our membership year runs July 1 – June 30 so now is the time to renew your League’s membership. Membership
entitles your League to select one voting delegate to attend our annual June meeting, held via ZOOM. The 2026-27 membership form is available on our website www.lwvumrr.org under the Membership tab at the top of the page. If your League is not already a member, please consider joining; there are many benefits. Or renew your membership if you haven't already done so since July 1, 2026.

Membership dues help strengthen the work and voice of Leagues throughout this watershed. Established in 2015, UMRR’s ILO Board has strong representation from each of our five member states.

Thanks to our member Leagues, UMRR ILO is able to offer:

Our website which provides timely information on issues impacting the Upper
Mississippi River Basin, strengthening the advocacy efforts of all Leagues.
Educational Programs - educational programs are recorded and available on our website – perfect for viewing at your meetings! (www.lwvumr.org – Past Program Videos page).
Our Blog covers timely and important topics while providing useful resources for your members.
Pooling our time and resources enables us to apply for grants to help support
educational efforts and projects.
Our monthly e-newsletter provides valuable resources and information for your League’s members.
Developing a Plan of Action which includes
- Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience Initiative (MRRRI)
- Safeguarding our Mississippi River Together (SMRT)
- Farm Bill reauthorization

We hope to hear from you soon and remember dues are only $25 per year! You can easily renew by going online and paying through PayPal or sending your membership form and payment to:

LWV Upper Mississippi River Region ILO c/o Judy Peters
117 West High Rd
Norwalk, IA 50211

]]><![CDATA[Access to Water as a Human Right]]>Sun, 06 Sep 2026 03:36:11 GMThttps://www.lwvumrr.org/blog/access-to-water-as-a-human-rightOn October 13, LWV UMRR will host a discussion on the Access to Water as a Human Right. Join us for this opportunity to talk about the next front in civil rights! Registration is required, click the button below. The program will be recorded, and all who register will receive the video link. But hey, it's more fun to join in person and be part of the conversation!

Our speakers will be Carolyn Raffensperger, executive director of the Science and Environmental Health Network. and Jim Larew, Attorney to the Board for the Driftless Water Defenders. LWV UMRR Chair, Mary Ellen Miller, will lead the discussion following the presentations.

In a recent column in Common Dreams, Carolyn said "Of all the issues ... water is one of the most crucial for the simple reason that we cannot live without water. Given this necessity, access to clean water must be treated as a human right with governments charged with the ethical responsibility to serve as the trustees of water to protect it for present and future generations. This responsibility to protect access to clean water as a human right must guide their decisions on data centers and CCS facilities and other large industrial projects.

Carolyn will discuss this from the national perspective; Jim will address efforts in Iowa to change the constitution to include access to clean water as a human right. Jim frames the struggle for clean water as the next phase in America’s civil rights journey. Drawing parallels to historical movements prompted by social violence, he characterizes the current crisis as “environmental violence”—with children suffering in hospital wards due to pollution-induced diseases. He calls for a constitutional amendment to guarantee the right to clean water, citing existing state-level precedents and the urgent need for federal recognition.

United Nations position:
Is water a human right? And what about sanitation? Yes and yes! The human right to water is core to the right to adequate standard of living guaranteed by the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) recognized the human right to safe drinking water in 2010 and safe and dignified sanitation, as a distinct right, in 2016.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of feminist advocates, we understand that water and sanitation are women’s rights issues. They carry the burden of collecting clean water for their families, endure harassment on their journeys to gather water or use public latrines, and face economic and social limitations because of period poverty. These problems persist in both urban and rural settings.

]]><![CDATA[Funding our organization - what you can do to help]]>Mon, 31 Aug 2026 04:01:03 GMThttps://www.lwvumrr.org/blog/funding-our-organization-what-you-can-do-to-helpLWV UMRR is funded through annual membership fees ($25 per member League per year), private donations and grants. In 2026, private donations raised the most money. Of the $5000 in revenue that funds LWV UMRR, only $1750 came in from memberships.

Individual donations are welcome in any amount, and can be made through our "donate" page. If you need to take Required Minimum Distributions from your retirement accounts, these can be directed to LWV UMRR as Qualified Charitable Donations and avoid any tax consequences - read more about this below.

Tax Deductible
All donations to the League of Women Voters Upper Mississippi River Region are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. We are a 501(c)(3) organization. Our Employer Identification Number (EIN) can be supplied on request - email us at lwvumrr@lwvmn.org.

Qualified Charitable Distributions
If you would like to make a qualified charitable distribution, please have your financial advisor direct your check to
LWV Upper Mississippi River Region c/o Judy Peters, Treasurer
117 West High Road, Norwalk, Iowa 50211
If you have questions, email lwvumrr@lwvmn.org .

Some background on Qualified Charitable Distributions
A Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) allows individuals aged 70 1/2 or older to make tax-free donations directly from their IRA to a qualified charity, potentially satisfying their Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) for the year, up to a limit. Here's a more detailed explanation:

What is a QCD?

Tax-free donations: QCDs are a way to donate to charity from your IRA without paying taxes on the distribution.
Satisfies RMDs: A QCD can satisfy all or part of your annual Required Minimum Distribution (RMD), which is the amount you're required to withdraw from your IRA each year after a certain age.
Direct transfer: The funds are transferred directly from your IRA to the qualified charity, not to you.
Age requirement: You must be at least 70 1/2 years old to make a QCD.
IRA types: QCDs can be made from traditional, rollover, or Roth IRAs.
Tax benefits: The QCD is not included in your taxable income, and you don't need to itemize deductions to take advantage of it.
Limit: In 2027, the maximum amount you can exclude from your taxable income through QCDs is $110,000 per year.

How QCDs Work

Contact your IRA trustee: Inform your IRA trustee that you want to make a QCD to a specific qualified charity.
Direct transfer: The trustee will make the distribution directly to the charity.
No taxes: The distribution is not included in your taxable income.
No deduction: You don't receive a charitable deduction for the QCD, but you don't have to include it in your income either.

Who Can Benefit from QCDs?

Individuals aged 70 1/2 or older: This is the primary eligibility requirement.
Those with IRAs: You need to have a traditional, rollover, or Roth IRA to make a QCD.
Those who want to donate to charity: QCDs provide a tax-efficient way to give to qualified charities.
Those who want to reduce their RMDs: QCDs can help you satisfy your RMD obligation while also supporting a good cause.

References:
https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-required-minimum-distributions-rmds

https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/retirement-plans-faqs-regarding-iras-distributions-withdrawals

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/qualified-charitable-distributions-allow-eligible-ira-owners-up-to-100000-in-tax-free-gifts-to-charity

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/give-more-tax-free-eligible-ira-owners-can-donate-up-to-105000-to-charity-in-2024

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/reminder-to-ira-owners-age-70-and-a-half-or-over-qualified-charitable-distributions-are-great-options-for-making-tax-free-gifts-to-charity
.

]]><![CDATA[A Message From Dela: Thank You From My Side of the River]]>Sun, 30 Aug 2026 02:46:59 GMThttps://www.lwvumrr.org/blog/a-message-from-dela-thank-you-from-my-side-of-the-river

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Dela Anderson, and I’ve been the Communications Intern at the League of Women Voters Upper Mississippi River Region (LWV UMRR) this past year. When I met Gretchen Sabel (LWV UMRR Communications Director) while volunteering to test well owners’ water, I never thought our conversation would lead to such a meaningful experience. But thanks to her openness and the generosity of private donors to LWV UMRR, I’ve had an amazing time with the League.

My internship began by sorting through the storied history of the Upper Mississippi River basin and the women who have been fighting so hard to protect it. I became inspired listening to Mickey Croyle talk about how a trip to work with her grandfather at a water treatment plant turned into decades of research and

advocacy, or to Mary Ellen Miller speaking of her experiences as a seventh-generation Iowan who values regenerative land practices, and so on and so forth.

It was my honor to feature our board members through new website profiles and to showcase all their work through new social media efforts. Through this, another one of my favorite projects was born: the Mississippi Minutes podcast. This podcast built on the deep network of colleagues and friends in LWV UMRR, prompting me to interview other water experts and share their knowledge in short (15 minutes or less!) podcast episodes. I’m proud to have talked to folks across the watershed.

I’m even prouder to share that I was so moved by their work that I’ve decided to return to school to pursue my Master’s degree in Water Resources Management at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. While I’m departing from my home in Minnesota and my time with the League for this next adventure, I know I’ll carry the lessons I’ve learned from you all on the river with me. I’ll especially be thinking of Steve Ploeser's and his family, who was a Madisonian himself and cared about our water even in his passing, kindly asking that his memorials be sent to LWV UMRR when he left us last year. These gifts made my internship possible, and for that I will always be grateful.

Note from the LWV UMRR Board -
LWV UMRR is funded through annual membership fees ($25 per member League per year), private donations and grants. In 2026, private donations raised the most money. Of the $5000 in revenue that funds LWV UMRR, only $1750 came in from memberships. Private donations, like those directed by the Ploeser family as memorials when Steve passed, make the work of LWV UMRR possible. Individual donations are welcome in any amount, and can be made through our "donate" page. If you need to take Required Minimum Distributions from your retirement accounts, these can be directed to LWV UMRR as Qualified Charitable Donations and help reduce tax consequences - read more about this at this link.

]]><![CDATA[River Days of Action - the Report from Muscatine!]]>Sun, 02 Aug 2026 03:53:53 GMThttps://www.lwvumrr.org/blog/river-days-of-action-the-report-from-muscatineby Nancy Porter, LWV UMRR Co-Vice Chair and representative to the Mississippi River Network

Friday, June 5, 2026,
From a sustainable building to lunch with LWVJC author whose great grandfather captained a wooden boat on the River, to lock and dam 16, Mississippi River Day of Action was full and busy!

LWVUMRR ILO took a group for the Mississippi River Day of celebration to Muscatine to visit the Stanley Peace and Security Sustainable Building. If you ever can visit, do...all sustainable, including growing food for salads for the employees!  Then with lunch we had a speaker. LWV MEMBER, Linda Meloy, whose great grandfather built a wooden 'tug boat'. He carried his 2 children and wife, to do the cooking and be the food gatherer, with him. Then we visited lock and dam 16. Great day!!

This is my 7th year of planning and execution...even got a proclamation to our City Council,  that will have to be repeated annually. Read more about the proclamation in this blog post!

The one and only pearl factory is in Muscatine, Iowa, also. (Of course, none of the pearl mussels currently exist, because all were harvested. Our lunch waitress had shared some of those special buttons with a NY clothing company and made a nice profit). It's a great Mississippi River town to visit, see the past and the present and appreciate the River. The Native American Mesquakes found it first, of course.

The following gallery has a dozen pictures from the event.

Mary Ellen Miller, UMRR President, drove from her home in south central Iowa, to attend the event. Vicki Aden, Catherine Franczyk, Marsha Smith, Barb Helmick, Bill Crews, Polly Horton, Dave Ulrick, Steve Paulsrud, Nancy Porter at Lock 16.

Linda Meloy, author and LWV Johnson County member, presents her book about her great grandfather during lunch.

BIG THANKS TO Steve Paulsrud for acquiring a guide in the June closed building and arranging a lunch space and finalising lock and dam 16. (Pictured here with UMRR treasurer Catherine Franczyk who came from Naperville, IL.)

A ‘paint by number’ art work to support community participation on the back wall of the Stanley Bldg which is connected to the food pantry by Solar panels, helps both buildings. For sustainable national recognition of the Stanley Building, actions with the Food Pantry has to be met. It’s Community spread of a great thing. This is a requirement of reaching a national goal to be on a national registry.

Vicki Aden, LWVJC President really wanted to pick some lettuce.

Our Stanley guide stands in front of tress where each leaf was taken from a book housed on the building when it was the library.

There are four Fika trees (only non local greenery.) Local trees wouldn’t exist there through the winter.

]]><![CDATA[You are invited! LWV UMRR hosts reception August 7 from 5-7 in Winona]]>Mon, 06 Jul 2026 19:44:54 GMThttps://www.lwvumrr.org/blog/you-are-invited-lwv-umrr-hosts-reception-august-7-from-5-7-in-winona

The League of Women Voters Upper Mississippi River Region (LWV UMRR) will host a public conversation about water quality Friday, August 7th at the Winona County History Center, Wanek Hall, 160 Johnson Street, Winona. The 5:00 pm social hour will include a sandwich buffet followed at 6:00 pm with a presentation “Clean Mississippi River – Is It Possible?” by LWV UMRR Chair Mary Ellen Miller; public discussion to follow.

The UMMR Board of Directors, representing 80 local Leagues across five upper Midwest states, is hosting this issue event with the LWV Winona, an LWV UMRR charter member League.

LWV UMRR Chair, Mary Ellen Miller (LWV Metro Des Moines) will share the LWV UMRR mission and ongoing advocacy work which includes collaboration with organizations with the same goals. This includes governance bodies, citizen non-profits and individuals who strive for clean water - one of life’s essential elements. Miller will talk about the state of the river today, the actions that LWV UMRR has undertaken so far and what lies ahead.

“Some issues are best understood and dealt with on a regional level that transcends political and geographic boundaries. That’s especially true for water issues.” - Mary Ellen Miller, photo left (PBS)

The, Illinois, LWV sponsored traveling panel exhibition "Declaration 1776" will also be on display. Through primary sources, images, and firsthand accounts, this exhibition reflects both the promise of 1776 and the work of democracy across generations. Wheaton LWV President Maury Goodman describes the exhibit, “We’re proud to sponsor Declaration 1776 as an opportunity for citizens of all ages to learn, discuss, and recommit to informed civic participation.”

Please RSVP online at at this link or by email to LWV Winona's Lynn Theurer at dtheurer@charter.net . If emailing, please include your name, organization and number attending. RSVP requested by July 31; suggested donation of $10/person requested at the door.

Please note if your organization will have a spokesperson to share its mission during the public discussion.

If you are a member or leader of a local, regional or state-wide organization, please share this invitation. The event planners are aware of over 12 local Winona County organizations that have “clean water” as part of their mission. More information on LWV UMMR can be found here: http://www.lwvumrr.org .

]]><![CDATA[River Days of Action!]]>Sun, 31 May 2026 10:48:51 GMThttps://www.lwvumrr.org/blog/river-days-of-actionGet out and enjoy our river! Wherever you are in the Upper Mississippi Basin, you can visit a stream and be part of the flow of the watershed. Celebrate River Days of Action - June 6-15, 2026!

Dedicated days where we make ripples into waves.
Experiencing and connecting with the Mighty Miss is the best way to become one with the River. Experience the joy of making a real impact through hands-on activities and events. Participate in canoe excursions, restoration projects, engaging webinars, and more events that inspire action for our people, land, water, and wildlife.

River Days now begins with a new, annual tradition – a day dedicated to the River: National Mississippi River Day on June 2nd. Learn more and get involved here. There are events up and down the river so you can find something in your area!

LWV UMRR is co-sponsoring an event in Muscatine on June 5. The day will start out with a tour of the Stanley Center for Peace and Security in Muscatine. The Stanley Center advocates for systemic change and policy progress around the globe. Their founders, Max and Betty Stanley, established an endowment for the center’s work. The proceeds fully fund the Center's operations and programming today.
Working together with partners, the Stanley Center organizes global convenings, commissions original research, produces and develops important stories, creates fellowships, and provides additional tangible resources to help achieve their collective goals. Their three topic areas are reduction of the threat from nuclear weapons, climate change and mass violence and atrocities.

The agenda for the day also includes lunch with a speaker and a tour of nearby Lock and Dam #16. Join LWV UMRR in Muscatine for this informative and fun event on June 5!

LWV Johnson County also go into the act for River Days of Action, working with the City of Iowa City to make a proclamation about the Mississippi and its importance to Iowans. LWV members Cathy Eisenhofer and Nancy Porter attended the Iowa City, Iowa, City Council Meeting on May 21. They were first on the agenda as Council Member Shawn Harmsen, who was raised along the Mississippi River, read the Proclamation, and Mayor Bruce Teague signed the document. Nancy spoke at the mic as a LWV member of JCLWV and UMRR ILO and UMRR representative to One Mississippi.

As a public school educator in Iowa City and always a teacher, Nancy added the information that Iowa’s farm landscape is responsible for at a large share of the nutrient pollution entering the Gulf of Mexico and in a recent survey by the U of Missouri, only 19% of people living in Iowa knew they lived in the watershed of the Mississippi.
Too many people need educating on the power and importance of the Mississippi River.

Nancy thanked the City Council for allowing citizen input through proclamations and noted several individuals working for the City who helped make this event happen for the Mississippi River. She ended with announcing she’ll be back next year to honor the River and invited the Council to celebrate the Mississippi River on June 5 with LWV Johnson County.

Mayor Bruce Teague of Iowa City holds the Mississippi River Proclamation after he signed it.

]]><![CDATA[Loss of an advocate for water, nature, people]]>Mon, 25 May 2026 03:51:06 GMThttps://www.lwvumrr.org/blog/loss-of-an-advocate-for-water-nature-people

Colleen Werdien of Anoka, Minnesota, was a member of the LWV UMRR Board since 2022. Sadly, Colleen died on May 5. Her grace, thoughtful comments and passionate advocacy stand as a testament and example for all. Her engagement with LWV lifts us all up.

Colleen was involved with many causes and organizations. For LWV UMRR, Colleen carried the work of the Minnesota Environmental Partnership into her work in our Action Committee. Her strong passion for the environment showed through in her articulate advocacy for water protection. She was especially concerned about groundwater, leading discussion of the appropriation of groundwater for bottled water sales.

Colleen's family remembers her a lively and fun aunt who loved card games and family times together!

Her academic field was public health, but her many interests ranged far afield from that.

Those who attended the 2025 LWV MN convention will no doubt recall Colleen staffing the LWV UMRR Water Bar, where people could taste drinking water from around the state and try to guess its origin. The next day, as Gretchen Sabel talked about the work of LWV UMRR to the assembled multitudes, Colleen roamed the room tossing candy to (at) the participants. She was sparkling and everyone had fun!

Also a member of LWV ABC, the local League serving Anoka, Colleen carried her advocacy and strong voice into her work locally. She gave a passionate speech to LWV ABC in support of a request to the County Board for a groundwater hydrologist. You can see Colleen's speech in the video at the bottom of this post - she's on from 4:15 to 8:57.

LWV ABC members remember Colleen as thoughtful and caring. She showed up and was happy to help when needed.

Colleen's other involvements (that we know of...)
The Rum River Art Center in Anoka offers a variety of art classes. Angie Renee, artist and teacher, said Colleen was in many of her classes. Angie remembers Colleen as soft spoken and creative. Two of her recent classes were Outside the Line and Mixed Media, where Colleen has been drawing and painting buffaloes.

Colleen was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Anoka. She carried her advocacy here as well, serving on the Creation Care team. Her creativity and free spirit were evident at their meetings.

Colleen was elected as a Supervisor to the Anoka Conservation District in 2021. Here's a welcome introduction that the Anoka Conservation District shared when Colleen was elected:

Photo - Anoka Conservation District

Colleen Werdien is a Minnesota native, growing up with her family in Mounds View before moving to Anoka County 25 years ago. She settled first in Columbia Heights, but seven years ago when she saw an article in the paper about an old house for sale that was originally built in 1852, she decided to move to the city of Anoka very near the banks of the Rum River.

Growing up, nature was always easily accessible for Colleen. In her childhood home, Colleen fell in love with the knee-high prairie grasses and small creek running through her backyard and the forest right across the street. Colleen carried these experiences in nature throughout her life, naming several significant places in Minnesota she loves to visit today including the Boundary Waters, Jeffers Petroglyphs in the southwest, and the prairies of Pipestone.

Her home in Anoka sits on ¾ of an acre that is largely shaded by mature trees. In her sunny boulevard, Colleen tends to a variety of native plants that are beneficial for pollinators while working to keep the invasive weeds and buckthorn at bay. If she's not out in her yard, you are most likely to find Colleen pursuing one of her many artistic interests from pottery to felt and wool, and from drawing to playing the ukulele and piano!

Colleen is already an active member of her community working with several local organizations and volunteer groups. She is an active member of the Andover Pollinator Awareness Project as well as the Anoka County Master Gardeners, both of which allow her to work with and advocate for the native prairie plants and flowers she adores. In addition, Colleen volunteers for her church and serves on the HRA Board working to purchase and revitalize homes that have fallen into disrepair.

Still, Colleen felt the desire to do more for her community to make an impact. She has been concerned about the state of our natural resources her whole life and when she learned of the work ACD does, she knew she would be able to make a big impact in conservation work throughout the county as a supervisor.

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