On February 25, 2025, MFU staff attended an Action Planning Workshop for Managing Floods and Droughts in Minnesota, hosted by Great River Greening (GRG) and the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership (MCAP).  

The workshop was part of a larger project started in 2024 that is funded by Minnesota’s Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund to integrate climate data into decision-making by governments and natural resource managers. Attendees of the workshop included professionals from organizations such as Soil and Water Conservation Districts and more. The event featured lightning talks, time for networking, and interactive activities to learn and think critically about how precipitation changes due to climate change will impact Minnesota.

The workshop opened with a climate simulation game using dice that helped players think about how climate change affects their decision making through an interactive experience. Upon completing the game attendees and facilitators discussed the complexities of real-life climate scenarios. There are many factors that impact the probability of experiencing floods and drought, including decisions made upstream in a watershed. 

Following the climate game was a set of five lightning talks from Great River Greening and Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership about their research and findings from recent precipitation and hydrological modeling work. The lightning talks highlighted that Minnesota is experiencing an increase in “whiplash” events where flash floods are followed by extended drought periods, and that there is a projected trend of wetter winters and springs, with drier summers and falls.  

During the afternoon, attendees participated in a scenario planning activity for future floods and droughts. Attendees chose a land management adaptation project focused on water, agriculture, or conservation, and brainstormed together the key aspects to take into consideration, which included;  

• Stakeholders for the project

• Timeline of the project

• The geographic region of interest

• Climate and non-climate variables that affect the ability to carry out the project

• The goals and outcomes

Attendees also thought about how that project would address the long-term climate trends being seen in the state. MCAP and GRG’s project for Managing Future Floods and Droughts in Minnesota will conclude in June 2026.