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AGENDA RECOMMENDATION |
6.W.
City Council Regular Meeting
- Meeting Date:
- 01/12/2026
Agenda Item:
Resolution adopting the Minnesota River - Mankato Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan.
Recommendation/Action(s):
Adoption of the attached resolution.
Summary:
The purpose of this memo is to report on the status of the Minnesota River-Mankato Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan and to request adoption of the Plan contingent upon the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) review. The Plan will replace the County Water Management Plan in the Minnesota River-Mankato Watershed within Blue Earth County.
The Minnesota River-Mankato Watershed Planning partnership was created in 2024 to prepare, adopt and implement the comprehensive watershed management plan. The planning effort included the counties and soil and water conservation districts from Blue Earth, Le Sueur and Nicollet counties. The cities of Lake Crystal, Mankato, North Mankato, and St. Peter also participated in the planning effort. Houston Engineering, Inc. (HEI) was hired as the consultant to lead the development of the Plan.
The public input process for the Plan included two public meetings in 2024 and an online survey. A Steering Committee, Technical Advisory Committee, and Policy Committee provided review and content for the Plan, which was developed in 2024 and 2025. The Plan includes the following high priority resource concerns to guide implementation activities: nutrient loading, sediment and erosion, surface water/groundwater interaction, loss of water storage, altered hydrology, and soil health.
A public hearing on the draft Plan was held on December 15, 2025, in the City of St. Peter, with the Policy Committee. There were no comments made by the public. The Policy Committee is made up of elected officials from the participating partners. Councilperson Mike Laven serves on the committee on behalf of the City of Mankato.
After the public hearing was closed, the Policy Committee recommended approval of the plan and recommended submitting it to BWSR for review.
The final local step in the planning process is for each local board to pass a resolution to forward the plan to BWSR for review, and to adopt the Plan contingent upon BWSR review and approval. After local adoption, the BWSR southern regional committee will review the plan in early 2026, prior to final approval by the BWSR Board. After approval by BWSR, a new joint powers collaboration will be formed to implement the Plan.
The Minnesota River-Mankato Watershed Planning partnership was created in 2024 to prepare, adopt and implement the comprehensive watershed management plan. The planning effort included the counties and soil and water conservation districts from Blue Earth, Le Sueur and Nicollet counties. The cities of Lake Crystal, Mankato, North Mankato, and St. Peter also participated in the planning effort. Houston Engineering, Inc. (HEI) was hired as the consultant to lead the development of the Plan.
The public input process for the Plan included two public meetings in 2024 and an online survey. A Steering Committee, Technical Advisory Committee, and Policy Committee provided review and content for the Plan, which was developed in 2024 and 2025. The Plan includes the following high priority resource concerns to guide implementation activities: nutrient loading, sediment and erosion, surface water/groundwater interaction, loss of water storage, altered hydrology, and soil health.
A public hearing on the draft Plan was held on December 15, 2025, in the City of St. Peter, with the Policy Committee. There were no comments made by the public. The Policy Committee is made up of elected officials from the participating partners. Councilperson Mike Laven serves on the committee on behalf of the City of Mankato.
After the public hearing was closed, the Policy Committee recommended approval of the plan and recommended submitting it to BWSR for review.
The final local step in the planning process is for each local board to pass a resolution to forward the plan to BWSR for review, and to adopt the Plan contingent upon BWSR review and approval. After local adoption, the BWSR southern regional committee will review the plan in early 2026, prior to final approval by the BWSR Board. After approval by BWSR, a new joint powers collaboration will be formed to implement the Plan.