Workshop 1 gathered ideas from 115 participants from the river’s headwaters in Elko New Market Township to the falls in the City of Hastings. Each of the five workshop sessions focused on a specific portion of the corridor, distinguished by similar land use patterns:
- New Market and Eureka Townships
- Lakeville and Farmington
- Empire Township
- Castle Rock, Vermillion, Marshan Townships
- Hastings
Dakota County staff presented key findings from Vermillion River Watershed studies and projects. Working in small groups, participants shared their vision for creating a collective vision for the river’s future.
Small groups also reviewed a series of images depicting approaches for enhancing water quality, habitat, recreation, and future development, as they might look in each of the corridor’s predominant land uses (agriculture, residential, open space, and commercial). Participants selected their most and least preferred approaches for planning consideration.
Key Messages