Our Comprehensive Plan

The Coon Creek Watershed District (CCWD) is a special purpose unit of government authorized by Minnesota Statute (M.S.) 103D. The CCWD also serves as a Water Management Organization (WMO) under M.S. 103B. WMOs exist only in the seven-county metropolitan area of Minneapolis-St. Paul and are organized around height of land drainage areas in this seven-county area. All WMOs are required to develop and implement a Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan for their area (M.S. 103B.231 and 103D.401).

The Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan serves to:

Set overall goals for the district that are consistent with legislative mandates
Respond to local health, safety and welfare needs
Develop a course of action to accomplish or make progress towards those goals.
Disclose and justify to the public and overseeing agencies

Why district activities are essential to the public and private good
How the district will “systematically administer water policy for the public welfare” (M.S. 103A.211)
To what degree the district exercises its three basic governmental powers (to tax, regulate and spend)

Planning Process for 2023-33 Plan

In May 2022 the District initiated the first step to amend the CCWD Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan with publication of Notice of Intent to Amend Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan. Public input was sought during July and August 2022 and Advisory Committee and agency input solicited during fall of 2022. The Notice for Plan Initiation was sent out January 4, 2023, to all stakeholders and the Plan Initiation was held during a regularly scheduled Board meeting on January 23, 2023.

The second step, Mission & Problem Analysis, required by M.S. 103B.231 and M.R. 8410.0045, is intended as an intellectual “starting line” for discussions about present and future water resource management issues, the structure of future operating environment that influences those resources, and water management in the Coon Creek Watershed District.A 60-day review was held December 2023-February 2024 when comments were received on the initial draft plan. Responses were given to 298 comments, and a Public Hearing was held on July 29, 2024, on the comment responses.

We are now in the 90-Day Plan Review phase after submitting our Draft Comprehensive Plan to the Minnesota Board of Soil & Water Resources on August 12, 2024.