Posted: 3/15/05
Commissioners approve draft of new water plan
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
Protecting drinking water is the top priority in the new Houston County Local Water Management Plan
Root River Soil and Water Conservation director Ralph Tuck talked about that and other parts of the ìpriority concerns scoping documentî with the county board at its March 8 meeting. The board then voted to approve it.
The water management plan was tweaked this winter following three public input sessions. A total of 16 people attended the sessions.
Tuck felt the biggest change was that participants looked at issues on a watershed basis. The biggest watershed is the Root River, which drains 60 percent of the county. The other three watersheds are the upper Iowa. the upper Mississippi Reno, and the upper Mississippi La Crescent.
Winnebago Creek in the upper Mississippi watershed experiences frequent flash flooding and high erosion rates, the report states, and local attempts to secure funding for flood control have been unsuccessful.
Tuck said that another suggestion was made to review the city land use plans to make sure they are compatible with the county plan. Stream monitoring was also discussed.
The report also states that Houston County receives 34 inches of rain a year, with 24 inches of that falling between April and September. This creates a high potential for soil erosion and flash flooding because of the steep topography.
There was a lot of public input when the water plan was first formulated in 1990, county environmental services director Rick Frank added. This will be its fourth revision.
Fifth district county commissioner Tom Bjerke noted that attendance was down this year.
ëI interpret that to mean people think we are making progress with our water issues,î Tuck said.
Feedlot and other state block grants totally about $80,000 are tied to having the water management plan, Tuck said.
Other business
ï Rick Frank reported that the recycling of electronic refuse like computers and phones has begun. These materials are brought from the five drop sites to the recycling center in Houston, where they are put in boxes on pallets. They are taken to Scientific Recycling in Holmen. The county pays the company 25 cents per pound to recycle it. Funding for the state-mandated project is possible from a 50 cent per month increase in household fees, from $2 to $2.50 that was implemented this year.
ï The board approved changing the status of three county employees from probationary to regular. They are John Tveiten, deputy; Deb Hartley, case aide worker; and Sheila Jones, public health nurse.
ï The board approved extending its agreement with Xcel Energy for recycling fluorescent bulbs by two years until December 31, 2006. Fourth district commissioner Dave Corcoran said the program, which began in 1996, works well. The next bulb collection date at the five drop sites is Saturday, April 9.
ï Commissioners Ann Thompson and Kevin Kelleher were absent from the meeting, which lasted 45 minutes.
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