Scott County — Transcript
Sunday, November 1, 2026
Committee Name Change
Tax Program Policy Manual Updates
2027 WMO Budget and Levy
Tom Klouse Stream Bank Stabilization Project
Scott SWCD Report and Staff Updates
Beaver-based Restoration and BeaverCon
Watershed Plan Update Progress
Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Funding Cuts
Private Well Water Testing Results
Votes (1)
Tom Klouse Stream Bank Stabilization Amendment (Informational)
Ryan presented an informational item regarding an amendment to a stream bank stabilization contract for Tom Klouse in Bellplane Township. The project aims to stabilize 78 feet of a tributary to Robert Creek, expecting reductions of 8 pounds of phosphorus and 8 tons of sediment per year. An increase of $4,000 to the contract amount (totaling $26,471.14 with WMO, SWCD, and landowner contributions) caused the cost-benefit ratio to exceed the prior $170/pound of phosphorus/ton of sediment threshold, reaching $186. The item was presented for awareness as it had been administratively approved in September to allow the project to proceed without delay.
Notable Quotes (11)
we changed it because we was we were trying to broaden the reach and ability for this group to be involved in the activities of the county and the WMO.
we're also switching from actual cost here to just basically buying the plants uh, for the pollinator habitats and rain gardens... and that will reduce costs.
it just seems very subjective to me and and and would prefer I guess I think it would be a better document if it had, you know, some guidance.
We to my knowledge have never actually gone to the 150% or even 100%. It's always been prrated... it's a good comment that we should have the up to.
We do that often by balancing our programs. So if we need to do a priority project in one program one year, we will obviously offset it by doing less in another program so that overall the budget balances.
lanthanum is a claybased product that binds phosphorus and inactivates it in in a lake... it's a permanent bond with the phosphorus in the lake.
would there ever be a role in doing like a cost share with the county uh or or like a a a fund sharing with the county just given that that 0.5% that is the sales and use transportation tax um by statute has to go to transportation and it always has a surplus.
one of the mandated changes in the next plan, one of the very few, uh, was that we had to have measurable goal tasks... in order for us to quantify them, right, we have to do more monitoring, right? We have to do more data collection.
beavers have been around for about 7 million years. uh just trucking along doing what they do. So they're really good at being good engineers for our ecosystem. Uh they work really cheap and they work really efficiently.
18 out of the 26 wells showed some level of arsenic in the wellwater. Two wells were over 20 parts per billion. One well was over 10 and then two were over five.
I'm just saying, is it within the scope of the commission to recommend that people do testing, you know, if they have a well or whatever. I I don't know. I just think that it seems like this is a topic that's getting more serious.
Ordinances & Resolutions (40)
The agenda for the meeting, reviewed at the beginning.
Minutes from the previous August meeting, reviewed and approved.
Document outlining the new operational guidelines for the committee, leading to the name change.
Legal requirements that necessitated changes to the committee's structure and name.
Manual undergoing updates for simplification, cost reduction, and alignment with new standards.
Reference document containing project ranking criteria (Appendix A, Section E).
Outlines how projects are ranked for funding consideration.
Preliminary levy and draft budget for the Watershed Management Organization.
Fiscal projection table for the next 10 years of plan implementation.
The foundational document guiding WMO activities for the next decade, currently undergoing review and approval.
Identifier for the SWAT model feasibility analysis project for Sand Creek and Pika Creek.
Identifier for the SWAT model feasibility analysis project for Sand Creek and Pika Creek.
A grant application for the SWAT model feasibility analysis and wetland assessment prioritization study.
Funding source for the Cedar Lake LAN treatment project.
Identifier for the Cedar Lake LAN treatment project in the watershed plan.
Short-term state standard for water quality that Cedar Lake is close to meeting.
Long-term state standard for water quality that Cedar Lake aims to meet, potentially allowing removal from impaired waters list.
List from which Cedar Lake could be removed if long-term water quality standards are met.
New enterprise software for the county, affecting financial reporting.
Regular report from the Soil and Water Conservation District on ongoing business.
Program that hosts outdoor education days for fifth graders and receives annual funding.
State law mandating vegetated buffers along water resources, with non-compliance cases handled by Bowser.
Source for tree and shrub orders for the 2027 sale.
National standards used to determine the effective life of conservation practices.
State standards from the Board of Water and Soil Resources, used to determine the effective life of conservation practices.
Scheduled for the December meeting, covering transportation and WMO collaboration.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, which visited the Pika Creek stream bank site as part of a grant check-off list.
Revision to expand eligible project areas beyond Sand Creek and Porter Creek watersheds and add wetland restoration as a project category.
Local Government Unit cost share program, which received no applications in its first round but will be available next year.
A convention at the University of Minnesota focused on beaver-based restoration and low-tech ecological engineering.
Federal regulations that have been updated to accommodate low-tech process-based improvements.
State agency responsible for reviewing and approving local land management plans, including the WMO's watershed plan.
State funding allocated to counties for AIS monitoring and watercraft inspections, facing a 50% cut in 2027.
Online tool showing state-mandated buffer widths for water resources.
A groundwater sampling project for arsenic, nitrates, and chloride in residential wells.
Regulations for arsenic and chloride levels in water systems.
Regulations for arsenic and nitrate levels in well water, with health risk goals and testing recommendations.
Annual conference where Melissa co-presented on the Sand Creek TMDL model update project.
A project involving Bar Engineering on LAR analysis, presented at the Water Resources Conference.
A future plan update that would drive more comprehensive groundwater data collection and resident education.