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Lower St. Croix Watershed Partnership offers technical help to strengthen Chisago County water-quality ordinances
Summary
Representatives from the Lower St. Croix Watershed Partnership and consultant JB Hinds urged the Planning Commission to consider clearer, stronger ordinance language on impervious surface, erosion control, and landscaping to reduce phosphorus runoff; the commission agreed to pursue partnership assistance.
Representatives of the Lower St. Croix Watershed Partnership and consultant JB Hinds presented to the Chisago County Planning Commission on opportunities to strengthen local ordinances to protect water quality. Barbara Heitkamp, Water Resources Education Specialist with the Partnership, said the group "wanted to continue that momentum through the use of strong, easy-to-interpret ordinances" and offered technical assistance and potential funding to interested jurisdictions. Hinds, a consultant with Birchline Planning, noted the team's recent work with townships and recommended focusing on management regulations, including erosion control, stormwater management, and impervious surface coverage.
Commissioners asked detailed questions about implementation and costs. Hinds advised that the largest development costs typically arise when projects trigger NPDES permitting and engineered stormwater systems, while time delays from unclear standards can also raise costs. Commissioners discussed practical tools: Commissioner Chris DuBose highlighted Polk County's online impervious-surface scoring tool as a model that could help property owners visualize how different surfacing and plantings affect coverage.
