11-24-2025 - Agenda Packet Cc - Work Session

Home Browse Search

Surface Water Management The metro region consists of hundreds of miles of rivers, streams, thousands of acres of wetlands, and nearly a thousand lakes. These surface waters define our region. They are where we play, exercise, find peace, and celebrate with friends and family. They support the region's ecosystems and biodiversity. They provide drinking water for the region's residents and energy for industry. They are critical transportation corridors and places to recreate, fueling local economies. Yet these waters are threatened by complex issues like ongoing pollution stress, climate change, and unsustainable development pressures. Comprehensive community planning includes surface water planning to ensure the region's residents, businesses, and ecosystems can benefit from clean and abundant water. In 1995, Minnesota Statutes Section 473.859, subd. 2 was amended to make the local water plan (often referred to as local surface water management plans) required by Section 103B. 235 a part of the land use plan of the local comprehensive plan. Minnesota Rules Chapter 8410, updated in July of 2015, includes the requirements for local water management plans. All communities in the metro region must update their local water plan between Jan. 1, 2027 and Dec. 31, 2028. This means that Orono must update its local water plan as part of the comprehensive plan update. The community's updated local water plan should be submitted to the Met Council for its review concurrent with the review by the local watershed management organization. The Surface Water Features map shows the watershed management organization, Minnehaha Creek WD, that has jurisdiction in Orono. Failure to have an updated local water plan approved by your watershed management organization will result in the comprehensive plan being incomplete for review. Local water plans shall be submitted to the Met Council for review in the timeframe described above, comments are sent from the Met Council to the appropriate watershed for inclusion in their review and approval of the plan, and finally the plan is approved by the appropriate watershed. Local water plans must meet the requirements for local water plans in Minnesota Statutes, section 103B.235 and Minnesota Rules Chapter 8410. In general, local water plans need to include a summary of the priorities and problems in the community; structural, nonstructural and programmatic actions to take to address the priorities and problems; and clearly identified funding mechanisms to fix the problems. More detailed guidance for the local water plans can be found in Appendix A of the 2050 Water Policy Plan and in the Met Council's current Local Planning Handbook. Priority Waters List The Met Council updated its Priority Waters List (formerly Priority Lakes List) in July 2022. This new version includes rivers, lakes, and streams. With more than 950 lakes and hundreds of miles of rivers and streams in the region, waterbodies needed to be prioritized to adequately dedicate staff and financial resources. The Met Council uses the Priority Waters List to focus its limited resources. The list is also used in the environmental review process. The Surface Water Features map and Priority Waters List table show the priority waters for Orono. 2025 SYSTEM STATEMENT WATER RESOURCES 25 28