30 Years of River Watch
The 2025 River Watch Forum was held on February 26th at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, ND. This year marked the 30th anniversary of River Watch in the Red River Basin – we couldn’t have done it without the dedication and support of everyone involved!
The 2025 assignment for participating teams was focused on recreation and connection to place. Teams were tasked with crowdsourcing recreation use data from their school and community, highlighting recreation areas within their watershed, and creating a Stewardship plan to increase, improve or maintain recreation in their community. Stewardship plans had to be displayed for school/community viewing, and students presented their work via a poster highlighting their activities for live judging at the Forum!
John Wheeler’s keynote address highlighted the science and physics behind the often mystifying winter weather phenomenons that we experience while living in the Northern areas of the United States!
Breakout Sessions
Students had the opportunity to participate in three different breakout sessions, a college fair, River of Dreams Recap and art activity, and live judging.
College Fair
Students were able to learn about possible post-secondary education options from an array of colleges and universities from Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin!
River of Dreams
Students revisited the River of Dreams program that many had participated in while in elementary school. Students who had participated were provided with their canoe tracking numbers and everyone designed a small canoe ornament to take with them!
Live Judging
Students excersized their public speaking skills by presenting their projects to a panel of live judges, and had the opportunity to view and judge projects completed by other teams.
2025 Forum Awards
Awards for this year’s forum were given for three categories, Judge’s Choice, People’s Choice, and Manager’s Choice.
Judge’s Choice
These awards were decided by a panel of industry professionals and former River Watch members
Judge’s Choice: Gold
With so many great projects, sometimes you have to share first place! This year we had two schools tie for gold in Judge’s Choice, Norman County East and Cavalier. Both teams also placed in people’s choice.
Norman County East PosterCavalier PosterNorman County East’s proposed Stewardship plan included increasing recreational opportunities and spreading positive awareness about the quality of their watershed. They explored ways to encourage community clubs and organizations to encourage winter activities and advertise the availible outdoor public amennities. They even got their local newspaper to publish their plan!
Cavalier’s proposed stewardship plan focused on improving recreational activity by providing assistance for improving and maintaining hiking trails and recreation areas at Icelandic State Park. Cavalier students took their plan to their school board to approve the use of school hours and student volunteers for their project. Students coordinated with Icelandic State Park Rangers to organize their efforts!
Judge’s Choice Silver: Lakota
Lakota PosterLakota’s stewardship plan focused on maintaining local recreation areas through invasive species education, improving access sites by increasing the amount of garbage cans, and by reaching out to local campsite owners to assist in implementing their plan. Lakota students posted their plan for viewing in the front lobby of Lakota High School, as well as posted it to their schools social media pages!
Judge’s Choice Bronze: Clearbrook-Gonvick
Clearbrook-Gonvick PosterClearbrook-Gonvick’s stewardship plan focused on enhancing outdoor recreational infrastructure for the surrounding communities by increasing maintenance to swimming beaches and fishing docks, as well as proposing specialized kayak docks, clearly marking access points, and providing information on where to rent outdoor gear. Students presented their plan to elementary teachers with a goal of creating a schedule of outdoor events and learning activities for younger students!
People’s Choice
These awards are given to the students, by the students through voting during the breakout sessions.
People’s Choice Gold: Norman County East
Norman County East PosterNorman County East’s proposed Stewardship plan included increasing recreational opportunities and spreading positive awareness about the quality of their watershed. They explored ways to encourage community clubs and organizations to encourage winter activities and advertise the availible outdoor public amennities. They even got their local newspaper to publish their plan!
People’s Choice Silver: Valley-Edinburg
Valley-Edinburg PosterValley-Edinburg’s Stewardship plan focused on fostering community engagement to help improve recreational concerns. By increasing community understanding of the importance of local waterways and recreation sites, students hope that it will help keep them clean and sustainable for years to come!
People’s Choice Bronze: Cavalier
Cavalier PosterCavalier’s proposed stewardship plan focused on improving recreational activity by providing assistance for improving and maintaining hiking trails and recreation areas at Icelandic State Park. Cavalier students took their plan to their school board to approve the use of school hours and student volunteers for their project. Students coordinated with Icelandic State Park Rangers to organize their efforts!
Manager’s Choice
Local watershed and environmental managers casted their vote for their prospective states, one each in Minnesota and North Dakota.
Minnesota Manager’s Choice: Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton PosterDilworth-Glyndon-Felton’s stewardship plan focused on educating younger students on the idea of stewardship and how to be stewards of the Buffalo River through hands on activities with topics such as recyling, the water cycle, and pollution. Their stewardship plan was published in their school newsletter that is emailed monthly to students and parents, and posted on the districts facebook page!
North Dakota Manager’s Choice: Valley-Edinburg
Valley-Edinburg PosterValley-Edinburg’s Stewardship plan focused on fostering community engagement to help improve recreational concerns. By increasing community understanding of the importance of local waterways and recreation sites, students hope that it will help keep them clean and sustainable for years to come!
All Projects & Teams
Thank you to all schools who completed the 2025 project and attended the forum! Look below to find the project links from other schools in the basin.
