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Christian County adopts three watershed-management plans covering Rainy River, Rainy Rapid and Rainy Headwaters/Vermilion
Summary
The Christian County Board of Commissioners voted to adopt and begin implementing three comprehensive watershed-management plans: Rainy River/Rainy Lake, Rainy Rapid and Rainy Headwaters/Vermilion. County staff said the plans identify potential uses of implementation funding for projects such as septic-system cost-share, shoreline stabilization,
Christian County commissioners on Jan. 14 adopted resolutions to implement three watershed-management plans covering portions of the county: the Rainy River/Rainy Lake plan, the Rainy Rapid plan and the Rainy Headwaters/Vermilion plan.
Anthony (county staff) told the board the plans are intended to guide water-quality protection and improvement projects in their respective watersheds and to make local projects eligible for implementation funding. Examples cited included cost-share and low-interest loans for septic-system upgrades, feasibility studies for gray-water systems, shoreline and stream-bank stabilization, well screening and testing, solid-waste projects and invasive species and forest-health management.
"That funding may be available for those types of things," Anthony said, describing the implementation funds and how policy committees for each plan will prioritize projects. He told commissioners that the Rainy River/Rainy Lake plan covers a large swath of the county, while the Rainy Rapid and Rainy Headwaters/Vermilion plans include smaller peripheral areas already in implementation stages.
The board voted to adopt each plan by separate resolution and to begin implementation contingent upon final approval from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources as required by Minnesota Statutes 103B.101, subdivision 14, which staff read into the record for the Rainy River/Rainy Lake adoption. Commissioners were told the implementation funding for the plans is available in multi-year cycles and that policy committees will determine priorities and awards.
County staff said upcoming actions will include proposed joint-powers agreements and further coordination with neighboring counties and watershed partners for the Big Fork and Little Fork planning areas.
