Pine River watershed update: 51 shoreline projects completed; public comment open through June 5

Melissa Barrett, representing Crow Wing Soil and Water, told commissioners the county completed around 51 shoreline-restoration projects and undertook strategic land acquisitions that advanced watershed goals in the Pine River area. The county is conducting a five-year update coordinated with the Board of Water and Soil Resources and will track outcomes by acres rather than percentages where feasible.

Barrett said the plan keeps lake goals and prioritization in place for high-value lakes that are significant to the county’s tax base, and that some performance targets (for example, septic compliance rates) are difficult to track and therefore the update emphasizes education and voluntary compliance. She noted an open comment period through June 5 and a public hearing on June 17 in Backus; staff will then submit the amendment to the Board of Water and Soil Resources.

Commissioners asked about funding and implementation timelines; staff said typical consultant costs for plan work have been in the range of $200,000 and that state funding under the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment is important to implementation but expires in 2034, affecting long-term resource certainty.