We would use $15,000 to develop a professional-quality "Zoe Zumbro" river otter mascot costume, graphic images, four "We Otter Clean Up the Zumbro" presentations, radio spots, and an internet presence to help people address the issue of Zumbro River pollution and flooding.

Zoe Zumbro, a 6-foot tall Zumbro River Otter would visit schools, libraries, community centers, daycares, county fairs, community parades, and other events with the message "We otter clean up the Zumbro." In addition, a series of posters, flyers, and online, and newspaper ads will show watershed residents what the Zumbro River looks like now after a rainstorm (muddy and ugly) and how it can look if everyone does their part to "slow the flow" of runoff and clean water with natural soil and plant filtration.

Residents who drive by the Zumbro River every day and don't think twice about it will become more aware of the river when they see a cute, cuddly mascot at community events, on T.V., or at their child's school. Zoe and her staff helper will talk with the child, family, or adult audiences at each presentation about how human land use decisions and fast water drainage is polluting, eroding and flooding the Zumbro River, and how this affects the otters, herons, and other creatures that call the river home.

While several surveys have shown that while many people don't naturally relate to a large body of water, like a river or lake, people can very easily relate to a furry mascot mammal like a playful river otter. While people are seldom motivated to "clean up a river" just to make that river cleaner, they can be motivated to clean up a river to help out attractive wildlife species like otters, herons, and game fish.

By using a river otter mascot and highlighting all the amazing wildlife and beautiful places on the river, this project will inspire watershed residents to care about the Zumbro River and work to keep it clean.

Our community is the Zumbro River Watershed, approximately 900,000 acres of agricultural and urban lands that drain into the three forks of the amazing Zumbro River in southeastern Minnesota. The watershed includes Rochester (population 100,000), but also smaller communities like Pine Island, Zumbro Falls, Oronoco (all under 5,000 people each), and hundreds of family farms.

Water issues affect this watershed community in many ways. Because of human land use decisions, much of the Zumbro River no longer meets federal EPA clean water standards. Turbidity (water cloudiness caused by sediment) hurts river wildlife populations and makes the river an eyesore in area communities. What's more, because of the year-round high-water levels caused by high-speed drainage from surrounding cities and farms, the Zumbro is flooding now more than ever, leading to increased river pollution as city wastewater plants and rural septic systems wash waste into the river.

Communities on the river are still recovering form last fall's September flood, and while there has been some talk among politicians and community members about finding money to help rebuild these communities, there seems to be little talk about preventing the human-caused fast-drainage flooding events that will continue to plague the region for years to come.

For some people, the problem of river pollution and flooding is so big, they just don't know how to tackle it. Others might think that there's nothing they can do to help clean up a river or help prevent floods. Still others don't think that river pollution doesn't have much impact on their lives, especially if they don't live near, swim in, or fish in the river.

While the primary benefit of this project is to clean up the Zumbro River and reduce the frequency of floods, an important side benefit is that this project will bring together a large part of the region's communities all to promote a common good: a cleaner, healthier river for everyone.