Sherburne County adopts Mississippi River–St. Cloud watershed plan, joins joint powers partnership

Sherburne County commissioners on Tuesday adopted the Mississippi River–St. Cloud Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan and authorized a joint powers agreement to implement it across the participating local government units.

The plan covers roughly 89% of Sherburne County and was developed over a two‑plus‑year process led by Sherburne County and Sherburne Soil and Water in cooperation with nine other local government units. Dan, a representative for Sherburne Soil and Water, told the board the draft went through a 60‑day public and agency review from July 8 through Sept. 6, and was approved by the state Board of Water and Soil Resources on Jan. 22.

Why it matters: commissioners said watershed‑scale planning is needed to address impaired water bodies because upstream and cross‑jurisdictional flows limit the effectiveness of actions taken parcel by parcel. The joint powers entity will include representatives from Sherburne Soil and Water, the county and partner LGUs to oversee implementation, funding and progress tracking.

Board discussion focused on the scope and collaborative nature of the plan. "One of the challenges is those water bodies ... you can't have the necessary impact unless you take into account the entire watershed," Commissioner Hals said, adding, "I think this is a very positive step." Commissioner Hall said the plan recognizes impacts that originate outside Sherburne County and praised the work with partner counties and agencies.

The board approved a single motion to adopt the plan and authorize county participation in a joint powers agreement. The motion was offered by Commissioner Felber and seconded by Commissioner Schumacher; the board voted in favor and the motion carried.

The county will maintain the existing county‑level plan elements where applicable; the new watershed plan will operate alongside the Rum River watershed plan, which covers the remaining portion of the county.