Municipal consent to the Rice Creek Watershed District to conduct drainage proceedings
To approve Resolution No. 26-81, providing municipal consent to the Rice Creek Watershed District to conduct drainage proceedings for Ramsey Judicial Ditch 1 (ARJD1), Ramsey County Ditch 1 (RCD1) and Ramsey County Ditch 8 (RCD 8).
The Rice Creek Watershed District is requesting the City of Shoreview provide municipal consent to conduct drainage proceedings under watershed law. City Council action is required to approve the resolution providing municipal consent.
Watershed drainage areas are specific areas of land where all the rain, snowmelt and surface water drain to a shared exit point like a stream, river or lake. These areas can cross multiple city and county boundaries and watershed districts were created under the Minnesota Watershed Act which have planning, regulatory and taxing authority to coordinate watershed management efforts between city, county and state agencies.
The two major drainage systems located in the City of Shoreview include the Grass Lake Area and the Rice Creek Area. The Grass Lake Area discharges to Vadnais Lake and is located within the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District (RWMWD). The Rice Creek Area discharges to Rice Creek and is located within the Rice Creek Watershed District (RCWD). The RWMWD manages about 65-square miles of watershed located within 12 cities. The RCWCD manages about 185-square miles of watershed located within more than 30 cities and townships.
Counties, cities and townships located within the watershed districts are responsible for the management of the stormwater infrastructure located within their boundaries and must operate and maintain the systems per federal, state and watershed regulations. Watershed districts also have stormwater infrastructure that conveys water across government boundaries and are responsible for the management including construction, inspections, maintenance and repairs.
Due to urban growth and development in the metropolitan area, drainage systems originally established for the benefit of land used by agriculture are now located within municipal boundaries and fall under the jurisdiction of watershed districts. A number of Ramsey County ditch systems that serve Shoreview and adjacent communities are located within the RCWD boundary and the watershed is planning to complete repairs to one of the systems with the potential to complete future repairs on two additional systems. The proposed repairs would be completed on Ramsey Judicial Ditch 1 (ARJD1) drainage area which has a small area located within the northwest portion of the city. The Ramsey County Ditch 1 (RCD1) drainage area encompasses a larger area around Turtle Lake and a portion of the city north of Lexington Avenue and Ramsey County Ditch 8 (RCD 8) is in the northeast portion of the city north of County Road I between Lexington Avenue and Turtle Lake Road. The ditch drainage areas are shown on the attached Shoreview Watershed and Drainage Area map.
MN State Statute 103D.621 provides the procedure for improvement and repair of drainage systems in the metropolitan area which is defined as one of the following counties: Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott or Washington. With the concurrence of the governing bodies of the cities where the drainage system is located, the managers of a watershed district may improve and repair any drainage system transferred to the watershed.
The RCWD has reached out to the cities located within the three ditch drainage areas requesting cities provide municipal consent to the watershed to conduct the drainage proceedings required for ARJD1, RCD1 and RCD 8 which includes investigating and completing repairs and improvements and flexibility in financing future actions related to the drainage systems.
It is recommended the city council approve Resolution No. 26-81, providing municipal consent to the Rice Creek Watershed District to conduct drainage proceedings for ARJD1, RCD1 and RCD 8.