By Cathy Rofshus, communications specialist for the Shell Rock River Watershed District.

The Shell Rock River Watershed District invites area artists to submit entries in the District’s contest for designing its logo.

The winning artist will receive prizes totaling more than $100, including:

An annual state park pass, good for July 2004-July 2005

Two tickets to the Pelican Breeze

Four tickets to the Albert Lea Aquatics Park (city pool)

$25 gift certificate to Caf Don’L

$5 gift certificate to bait shop

$25 in cash

Framed certificate

Criteria for submissions include:

Logo must represent the Watershed District Board’s mission &uot;to improve water quality.&uot;

Logo should include a corresponding &uot;slogan.&uot; Examples of a slogan include &uot;ROW: Restoring Our Waters&uot;; &uot;Improving Water Quality, Enhancing Life Quality&uot;; or artist’s original idea.

Submissions must be on 8 1/2 X 11-inch paper. (Please do not fold submissions.)

Submissions may be 2-color, but must reproduce well in black and white.

Logo must reproduce well, from small (1.5 inches wide) to large (11 inches) size.

Submissions must include the artist’s name, phone number and address on a separate piece of paper.

Winning entry will become property of Shell Rock River Watershed District, including copyright and all other reproduction rights.

Entries must be postmarked by July 12, 2004 and sent to: Logo Contest, Shell Rock River Watershed District, Freeborn County Courthouse, P.O. Box 1147, 411 South Broadway, Albert Lea, MN 56007

A subcommittee of the Watershed District Board of Managers will select the winner in July.

Background information

In the 1830s, Lt. Albert Miller Lea, a topographer of the First United States Dragoons, crossed a creek in Iowa and named it the Shell Rock. Lea’s 1836 book, &uot;Notes on Wisconsin Territory,&uot; includes a map showing Fox Lake (later re-named Albert Lea Lake) and a creek flowing from it named &uot;Shell Rock River.&uot; A watershed is an area of land that drains ultimately to a particular watercourse. In this case, the watershed is named for the Shell Rock River, the final drainage point of

all land in the district.

The Shell Rock River Watershed suffers from nearly a century of direct and indirect pollution.

The watershed totals 319 square miles and includes 11 lakes, including Fountain and Albert Lea lakes. It is home to the city of Albert Lea and six small towns. The watershed is the head of the Shell Rock River, which flows into the Cedar, Iowa, and Mississippi rivers.

The entire watershed lies within Freeborn County, easing coordination of government units. The state formed the Shell Rock River Watershed District and appointed its Board of Managers in 2003 to overcome decades of abuse.

The District’s mission is &uot;to implement reasonable and necessary improvements to water-related and other natural resources of the District. Many water-related issues are being addressed by one or more local, state and federal government agencies. The District will review current levels of enforcement, funding and labor available to fully achieve stated goals. The District may increase the extent or pace of implementation by providing the necessary leadership, and assist with funding, volunteer support, and services necessary.&uot;

The Shell Rock River Watershed District Plan details several steps to improve water quality. Projects would include reducing soil erosion, restoring wetlands, improving storm water quality and much more. By investing in its lakes, the community will restore the environment while improving its quality of life.

The complete plan is available online at:

For more information on the contest, contact Cathy Rofshus, communications specialist for the District, at 297-5933.

The Shell Rock River Watershed District meets at 4 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at the Freeborn County Highway Department on County Road 22.

(Cathy Rofshus is the communications specialist for the Shell Rock River Watershed District.)