Board forwards Minnesota River Mankato watershed plan to Board of Water and Solar Resources and adopts contingent resolution

A staff presenter identified as Scott described the Minnesota River Mankato comprehensive watershed plan, which was developed by a 2024 partnership of Blue Earth, Le Sueur and Nicollet counties and the cities of Lake Crystal, Mankato, North Mankato and Saint Peter. Houston Engineering prepared the plan; the public input process included two public meetings and an online survey. The policy committee held a public hearing on Dec. 15, 2025, in Saint Peter; staff reported there were no public comments at that hearing.

Scott said that the final local step is for each local board to pass a resolution forwarding the plan to the Board of Water and Solar Resources for review and to adopt the plan contingent upon that review and approval. The board moved to adopt a resolution to submit the plan to the Board of Water and Solar Resources and to adopt the plan contingent on their approval; the motion passed by voice vote.

If approved by the Board of Water and Solar Resources, the partners plan to form a joint powers collaborative later in 2026 to implement the plan. The plan identifies priority resource concerns including nutrient loading, sediment and erosion, surface-ground water interaction, loss of water storage and soil health, and lists Crystal Lake, Ballantyne and Duck Lake as priority lakes in the county’s portion of the watershed.