Water Quality

The Pioneer-Sarah Creek Watershed Management Commission has adopted a number of goals and policies that conform to the overall purpose specified in MN Statutes Sec. 103B.201.  These goals and policies have been developed to preserve and use natural water storage and retention systems and address issues related to water quantity, water quality, recreation, fish and wildlife, enhancement of public participation, information and education, public ditch system management, groundwater management, shoreland management, wetland management, and soil erosion management.

The primary goals of the Commission are to:

1.      Protect, preserve, and manage surface water resources.

2.      Manage public expenditures needed to study and control and/or correct flooding and water quality problems.

3.      Educate and inform the public on pertinent water resource management issues and increase public participation in water management activities.

4.      Establish more uniform local policies and official controls for surface water management.

Specific policies relating to these issues are found in Section III of the Commission’s Watershed Management Plan. In developing the Plan, the Commission, with input from other agencies and citizen stakeholders, identified a number of water and water quantity concerns.  They are listed in Section IV of the Plan.

When addressing potential and existing issues the Commission defers to member cities the responsibility of addressing the water resource management needs, concerns, and issues when the impact of the problem and source of the impact are wholly contained within a given community.

In cases where impacts or the source of impacts transcend municipal boundaries, or the community is found to not be in compliance with the Commission’s Management Plan, the Commission shall review such problems and coordinate with the appropriate local government(s) for resolution.  It will be the responsibility of the member cities to implement a project that is acceptable to the Commission.