History: The Shingle Creek and West Mississippi Watershed Management commissions have proposed a minor plan amendment to their Watershed Management Plan. The minor plan amendment adds a maintenance fund to the commissions’ Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).

Staff reviewed commissions’ proposed minor plan amendment and found it to be consistent with Minnesota Statutes 103B.251, Subd. 9; the Surface Water Management section of the Hennepin County 2040 Comprehensive Plan; the Hennepin County Natural Resources Strategic Plan. As a result, staff recommend approval of the proposed minor plan amendment to the commissions’ Watershed Management Plan. Additional information about the minor plan amendment is provided in a supplemental staff recommendation report.

In addition to the proposed minor plan amendment, the Shingle Creek Watershed Management Commission requests a levy of $212,100 to fund three priorities in the commission’s watershed management plan - two water quality cost share programs and a maintenance fund. The projects will achieve the commission’s goals to improve water quality throughout the Shingle Creek Watershed and downstream resources including the Mississippi River.

Descriptions of the programs to be funded in part by the levy funds are:

1. The City Cost Share Best Management Practices Project provides cost share for projects that provide additional infiltration and water quality treatment by retrofitting best management practices into already developed publicly owned areas throughout the Shingle Creek Watershed. The Watershed Management Plan established a process to identify small, best management practices such as iron-enhanced pond filter benches, bioinfiltration basins, plant buffers, and erosion stabilization that qualify, and established a capital levy each year to share in the cost of identified projects. The commission requests a 2023 levy of $106,050 for this project.
2. The Partnership (Private) Cost Share Best Management Practices Project provides cost share for projects that provide additional infiltration and water quality treatment by retrofitting best management practices into already developed privately owned areas throughout the Shingle Creek Watershed. The Watershed Management Plan established a process to identify small, best management practices such as iron-enhanced pond filter benches, bioinfiltration basins, plant buffers, and erosion stabilization that qualify, and established a capital levy each year to share in the cost of identified projects. The commission requests a 2023 levy of $53,025 for this project.
3. The Maintenance Fund will fund activities that are necessary to ensure the success of past capital projects such as ongoing long-term efforts to manage carp or curly-leaf pondweed, maintenance of fish barriers water quality project installed as research projects. These activities will occur at various locations throughout the Shingle Creek Watershed. The commission requests a 2023 levy of $53,025 for its maintenance fund.

The West Mississippi Watershed Management Commission requests a levy of $159,075 to fund two priorities in the commission’s watershed management plan - two water quality cost share programs. The projects will achieve the commission’s goals to improve water quality throughout the West Mississippi Watershed and downstream resources including the Mississippi River.

Descriptions of the projects to be implemented in part by the levy funds are:

1. The City Cost Share Best Management Practices Project provides cost share for projects that provide additional infiltration and water quality treatment by retrofitting best management practices into already developed publicly owned areas throughout the West Mississippi Watershed. The Watershed Management Plan established a process to identify small, best management practices such as iron-enhanced pond filter benches, bioinfiltration basins, plant buffers, and erosion stabilization that qualify, and established this a capital levy each year to share in the cost of identified projects. The commission requests a 2023 levy of $53,025 for this project.
2. The Partnership (Private) Cost Share Best Management Practices Project provides cost share for projects that provide additional infiltration and water quality treatment by retrofitting best management practices into already developed privately-owned areas throughout the West Mississippi Watershed. The Watershed Management Plan established a process to identify small, best management practices such as iron-enhanced pond filter benches, bioinfiltration basins, plant buffers, and erosion stabilization that qualify, and established a capital levy each year to share in the cost of identified projects. The commission requests a 2023 levy of $106,050 for this project.

Levies authorized pursuant to Minnesota Statutes 103B.251 are exempt from any statutory limitation on taxes. A county levying a tax under Minnesota Statutes 103B.251 shall not include that tax in the county’s general levy but shall separately certify that amount to the county auditor. The county auditor shall extend that levy as a special taxing district. The commissions must certify their final levies to the county auditor prior to October 1, 2022.

Current Request: This request is to approve a minor plan amendment to the Shingle Creek and West Mississippi Watershed Management Commissions’ Plans; to set the Shingle Creek Watershed Management Commission 2023 maximum levy at $212,100, and to set the West Mississippi Watershed Management Commission 2023 maximum levy at $159,075 for projects that will improve water quality.

Impact/Outcomes: Approval of this request will amend the watershed management plans to add a maintenance fund to the watersheds’ capital improvement programs, as allowed by Minnesota Statutes 103B.251, Subd. 9. Approval of this request will also allow certification of the maximum levy to the county auditor for inclusion in Truth in Taxation statement.

Projects in this request will reduce pollutants from throughout watersheds by making cost-share funding available to private landowners and cities. This request also establishes a maintenance fund for past capital projects in the Shingle Creek watershed that will fund maintenance activities necessary to ensure the continuing efficacy of past projects and investments.

Both watersheds contain significant areas within their boundaries that are defined by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency as areas of concern for environmental justice. Some of the watershed-wide cost-share projects are likely to occur within these areas of concern.

These projects will also contribute to making Hennepin County more resilient to climate change by adding stormwater management capacity and improving water quality in advance of mid-century wetter and warmer conditions.

This action supports the county’s disparity reduction efforts by enhancing stormwater management systems and mitigating the flooding risks that climate change poses to our infrastructure and vulnerable populations.