The West Central Initiative commissioned an infrastructure pilot project in three communities in west central Minnesota. The City of Battle Lake, as a community with a relatively new centralized infrastructure facing pressure from growth, was chosen to be part of the pilot project. Government officials and residents of the City of Battle Lake sought to be effective stewards of their water resources. Specifically, they sought to protect the area’s lakes from damage and degradation and to preserve Battle Lake’s quality of life while capitalizing on the community’s sense of place and destination. Battle Lake is justly proud of the quality of its drinking water. Battle Lake has been ranked 5th in the nation and 1st in Minnesota for having the best tasting water. Yellow Wood worked with Battle Lake to identify stormwater issues that, if addressed, would effectively preserve the quality of streams and watersheds.
Innovators in Rural Community Economic Development
