By Harley Miller

With its proposed rules, the Shell Rock River Watershed District is asking local residents, farmers, and businesses to adopt practices that improve water quality for health, recreational and aesthetic reasons.

With the proposed rules, the District is trying an educational approach first. If that doesn’t work, the Board of Managers will need to adopt certain requirement to accomplish cleaner water. Everyone should look over the rules carefully because they carry the force of law.

On an urban basis, the District is asking all shoreland owners to implement Best Management Practices, such as filter strips of flowers, tall grass and trees instead of shortly mowed turf along lakes and streams. Filter strips help remove nutrients from runoff entering area lakes and prevent algae growth. In contrast, shortly mowed grass allows more phosphorus, and other contaminants, to enter lakes.

On an agricultural basis, the District is asking farm owners and operators to implement best management practices and programs.

For example, the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program is a voluntary federal-state-local program that works with farmers and ranchers to set aside marginal agricultural lands along waterways to enhance wildlife habitats, improve water quality, reduce erosion and sedimentation, and reduce the impacts of recurrent flooding. CREP is funded with 80 percent federal money and 20 percent state.

In total, the federal share will total nearly $200 million and the state portion is $46 million. The District is forming an outreach program to encourage area farmers to apply for CREP projects.

On a development basis, the District is seeking to review and comment on erosion and storm water runoff control plans for projects involving 1 acre or more.

Copies of the proposed watershed district rules are available at the Veterans Service Office at the county courthouse. The public hearing will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 12, at Riverland Community College in Albert Lea. The Board of Managers will outline the proposed rules, answer questions and take comments at the hearing.

The proposed rules comprise 31 pages. The first part, Administration (9 pages), concerns procedures, variances, enforcement powers, public meetings, and requirements for district permits. At this time, the board has chosen to rely on the permitting processes of other government units,

namely Freeborn County and the city of Albert Lea. It will review and comment on certain construction projects, such as those involving one acre or more.

The second part, Erosion and Storm Water Control (5 pages), addresses methods to prevent degradation of water resources from eroded soil and storm water contaminants. Examples include using natural filtration for storm water, more frequent street sweeping, and dumping snow away from public waters and shore impact zones.

The third part, Wetlands and Floodplains (2 pages), outlines the District’s goal to preserve and restore wetlands.

The fourth part, Pollution Prevention (5 pages) addresses individual responsibility, sewage treatment systems, restriction of phosphorus fertilizer on lawns, and other issues.

Appendix A, Storm Water Management Standards (3 pages), specifies the District’s requirements for land alteration.

Appendix B, Definitions (6 pages) defines terms used within the rules.

If anyone has questions about the rules, they may call me at 373-0900.

(Harley Miller is the Chairman of the Shell Rock River Watershed District.)