Conservation in the Whitewater Watershed today is the result of a commitment by landowners; local, state and federal conservation officials; and citizens of Minnesota to restore the watershed. The Whitewater area has become one of the most economically important outdoor recreation and tourism destinations in Minnesota, and many area residents have become conservation leaders in their own right.

However, change in ownership and land use over the past thirty years has led to subtle reversals to the land stewardship progress made earlier. There are fewer animals on area farms, resulting in less small grain, less grass and fewer acres of alfalfa. A simultaneous increase in soybean acreage has lead to less organic matter, less ground cover and more soil erosion.