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Committee directs staff to rescind county authorization for Lake Malibu drawdown
Summary
After extensive public comment and a staff briefing, the St. Croix County Community Development Committee voted unanimously June 18 to direct staff to rescind the county's conditional approval of the Lake Malibu drawdown application, citing unresolved phosphorus and monitoring concerns.
The St. Croix County Community Development Committee voted unanimously June 18 to direct the community development director to rescind the county's conditional authorization for the Lake Malibu drawdown application to the Department of Natural Resources.
The motion, as amended to emphasize county policy and partnership with landowners in the Willow River watershed, passed after multiple residents and environmental advocates urged the committee to withdraw approval amid concerns about phosphorus loading to the Saint Croix River. "The Lake Malauulu drawdown authorization is really a permission slip for what will be the largest point source discharge of a regulated pollutant to the Saint Croix River in documented history," said Mark White, natural resources manager for the Wild Rivers Conservancy, during a slide presentation the committee heard before the vote.
Public commenters emphasized water-quality risks and prior county investments. Resident John Gostovich told the committee that the county's goal to reduce phosphorus in public waters and previous investments—he cited roughly $4.5 million in watershed work—would be undercut by a drawdown. Celeste Cobrell and several other commenters urged use of a substitute resolution focused on county policy and rescission.
Staff explained outreach steps and a planned July 6 public panel, noting Stantec, Wild Rivers Conservancy and a DNR representative would be available to answer questions. Committee members pressed staff on monitoring and downstream impacts; staff clarified the county is a 50% owner of the dam while the City of Hudson handles daily maintenance and operations.
After brief debate and drafting by corporate counsel to soften language describing staff action, a supervisor moved the amended resolution directing the community development director to rescind authorization; another supervisor seconded and the body voted by voice for the motion, which carried unanimously.
The committee recorded the action as a policy directive to staff; it did not by itself change any DNR permit. Staff said the rescission directs county staff to withdraw the county's conditional approval from the DNR application process and to proceed consistent with the committee's adopted policy language. The committee also noted the Lake Malibu Association has scheduled a public meeting July 6 where the public may address technical questions.
The committee adjourned after taking that action and moving on to separate zoning items on data centers and storage facilities.
