The Freeborn County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) plans to add a full-time staff member next year, part of the efforts undertaken by the county to enhance the water conservation projects under scrutiny of the state water board.

Wednesday, September 19, 2001

The Freeborn County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) plans to add a full-time staff member next year, part of the efforts undertaken by the county to enhance the water conservation projects under scrutiny of the state water board. The $60,000 expense will be appropriated in the county’s 2002 budget.

The SWCD will use the county’s funds to hire and train one full-time employee, and to outsource some of its work to contractors.

The new person will be in charge of administrating various ongoing water and land conservation projects, including assisting farmers to apply for the USDA continuous conservation reserve program.

Including the aid to the SWCD, the county accounts $150,000 in total for the water conservation projects in the proposed 2002 budget.

The county expects $20,000 to be spent on equipment to test water quality, and $30,000 to contract out the designing of a new dam to control the water level of Albert Lea lake.

The county’s water conservation efforts have been at stake.

Demanding more efficient management, a group of Freeborn County residents had initiated a petition to establish an independent watershed district to manage water cleanup efforts in the Shell Rock River watershed, which covers almost one third of the county.

The county and the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) reached an agreement that states the county is given 18 months to improve its water conservation operation while BWSR halts the petition.

The scheme mandated by the agreement gives the county 18 months to establish an committee to establish a committee that tackles the water quality of Albert Lea Lake, and to implement five of the highest priority activities outlined in the Shell Rock River Watershed Advisory Board’s revision of the county water plan.