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Scott County staff set Aug. 4 release for draft 2027–2037 watershed management plan; 60‑day comment period to follow
Summary
County staff told the Scott Water and Natural Resources Citizen Committee that the first draft of the 2027–2037 watershed management plan will be released for a 60‑day review on August 4, with public and agency comments due October 3 and written responses required before proceeding to a final 90‑day review and BWSR approval.
Melissa, the county staff lead on the watershed plan update, briefed the committee on the purpose, legal basis and schedule for the 2027–2037 watershed management plan and the upcoming public review process.
Melissa said the plan is legally required and serves as the WMO’s operational guide for the next decade, coordinating cities, counties, state agencies and landowners around priorities such as protecting unimpaired waters, preventing localized flooding and restoring impaired waters. She told the committee that staff will seek county board permission on August 4 to release the draft for a 60‑day review. "If it goes out on August 4, then all comments would need to be back to us or submitted to us by October 3," Melissa said, adding that staff must respond in writing to each comment and will then pursue the 90‑day final review with state agencies before Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) approval and county adoption.
Melissa also described how the plan ties into other local planning: the WMO plan will be used as the county comprehensive plan’s water resources chapter, which increases the plan’s policy reach. Staff asked the citizen committee to review the draft when it is released, provide initial comments at the committee’s August meeting, and then finalize the committee's formal comments at the September meeting for submission to the county board.
The staff presentation included schedule milestones: August 4 — first 60‑day draft release; October 3 — comment deadline for that 60‑day period; November — expected release for a 90‑day final review with state agencies; late 2026 or early 2027 — anticipated county adoption pending BWSR approval. Staff emphasized that an approved watershed plan also keeps the WMO eligible for grant funding that supports local water projects.
