Overview

The Watershed Health Assessment Framework (WHAF) Explorer is an interactive mapping application that encourages an exploration of natural resource conditions and challenges in the state of Minnesota.

This tool delivers data layers and health scores for a selected location while helping users consider other scales and timelines that may influence watershed health and reveal unexpected connections. 

The Watershed Health Assessment Framework (WHAF) provides a consistent science-based approach to explore watershed health that is organized around addressing the Key Concepts of health, scale, resilience, and complexity. The WHAF Explorer applies the WHAF conceptual framing to the calculation of health scores, the presentation of related data and the design of the interface.

• Visit the Map Tool Guide for a full description of each tool within the Explorer map.
• Review the WHAF Process Guide for an example of an investigative work flow.

Climate Summary for Watersheds Reports

The related suite of reports consists of 81 Climate Summary reports for each of Minnesota's major watersheds and a Statewide Climate Summary. For Major Watersheds, historic climate trends are depicted in maps and charts that highlight the difference between current climate trends and the historic climate record. The Statewide Climate summary provides additional context for understanding and interpreting the Major Watershed Summaries. Supplemental Climate Summary Information gives additional context for interpreting the data and charts within this suite of reports.

A suite of statewide animated maps visualize change over time in seasonal and annual temperature and precipitation across Minnesota from 1895-2018, compiled as a series of shifting 30-year averages.

Audience

WHAF is a structured, science-based approach to help resource professionals and citizens work together and grow our common understanding of Minnesota's complex natural resource systems that interact within a watershed boundary. 

These products are delivered in a transparent and repeatable framework to foster robust conversations and innovative approaches for improving the health of Minnesota's watersheds and communities.