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River winding through the Driftless Region — watershed and landscape stewardship
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A Woodshire Studio Publication

Watershed Notes

Water, watersheds, and the landscapes that sustain us — reporting and ideas from the Great Lakes basin and the Driftless Region.

About This Publication

Watershed Notes is a Woodshire Studio publication focused on water, land, and the ecological systems that connect them. It draws on decades of engagement with the Driftless Region, the Great Lakes basin, and the communities that depend on both — through Sustainable Driftless, Great Lakes Watershed Notes, and the planning and writing work that has always placed landscape at the center.

This is a growing body of work. As it deepens, it may find its own home — a standalone site, a Substack, or something else entirely. For now, it lives here, alongside the other Woodshire Studio Issues.

The Larger Questions

  • What do we owe the watersheds we live in?

  • How does karst geology change the stakes of land use decisions?

  • What does genuine conservation require of landowners, planners, and communities?

  • How do we balance agricultural productivity with ecological health?

  • What would it mean to treat water as a common good rather than a commodity?

  • What can the Driftless Region teach the rest of the Great Lakes basin?

Related Organizations & Initiatives

Sustainable Driftless

Inspiring resource conservation and vibrant communities in the Driftless Region.

Driftless Area Land Conservancy

Protecting the natural and agricultural heritage of the Driftless Region.

Great Lakes Watershed Notes

A Woodshire Studio initiative tracking water quality, policy, and stewardship across the Great Lakes basin.

Growing

This is a publication in formation.

Watershed Notes may eventually find its own home — a standalone site, a Substack, or a dedicated publication. Subscribe to Woodshire Studio to follow it as it grows.

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