Post on 08-May-2015
Coon Creek Watershed District
Tim Kelly District Administrator
Agenda
1. What’s a Watershed2. What’s a Watershed District3. Ditches, Drainage & Maintenance4. Property Rights & Easements5. Outlots6. Role & Goals7. Questions
What’s a Watershed?
A Drainage Area
A Catchment
Come in All Sizes
All ShapesAll Shapes
They Overlap (& underlap) Political Boundaries
Anoka County
They are Defined by Water
What is a Watershed District?
Special Purpose Unit of Government
vs. General Purpose government
General Purpose Cities
Counties
Special Purpose
Watershed Districts Governed by a Board of Managers
(N=5) Statutory Authorities
Taxation Special Assessments Regulation
Watershed Districts Statutory Responsibilities
Drainage Law – 1897 Watershed District Act - 1955 Metropolitan Surface Water Management
Act - 1982 Wetland Conservation Act – 1991 National Pollution Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) MS4 Designation- 2004
A Little Background on
Coon CreekA Little History on
The watershedThe ditch system
Mission Statement
To manage groundwater and surface water systems to:
Prevent property damage Maintain hydrologic balance Protect water quality
For: the safety and enjoyment of
citizens, and the preservation and
enhancement of wildlife.
19901990
Ground and Surface Ground and Surface WaterWater
Prevent Property Prevent Property DamageDamage
Direct Direct PreventionPrevention Regulation – Regulation – Operations & Operations &
Maintenance of the Maintenance of the Drainage systemDrainage system
Indirect Indirect PreventionPrevention MonitoringMonitoring Planning & Planning &
ForecastingForecasting Information and Information and
EducationEducation
Hydrologic Hydrologic BalanceBalanceP = ET + R + P = ET + R + SMS SMS
+ + GMS + GMS + DS + DS + GWFGWF
Protect Water QualityProtect Water Quality
Water Quality BMP Water Quality BMP Principal MethodsPrincipal Methods
FiltrationFiltration: : The capture of solid The capture of solid pollutants pollutants
InfiltrationInfiltration: : A technique to A technique to discharge stormwater runoff to grounddischarge stormwater runoff to ground
SettlingSettling: : Deposition of solids in a Deposition of solids in a water column,water column,
Biological UptakeBiological Uptake: : Vegetative Vegetative and microbial uptake of nutrients. and microbial uptake of nutrients.
TemperatureTemperature Control: Control: reduce reduce the heating effects the heating effects
Water Quantity Water Quantity (Speed & Volume) BMP (Speed & Volume) BMP
Principal MethodsPrincipal Methods Volume ControlVolume Control: limit the net : limit the net
volume increase volume increase (#1 method: reduce impervious areas) (#1 method: reduce impervious areas)
Rate & Velocity ControlRate & Velocity Control: : SW Detention to slow it down to pre- SW Detention to slow it down to pre- development rates development rates
EvapotranspirationEvapotranspiration: loosing : loosing water through vegetation (surface & water through vegetation (surface & transpiration)transpiration)
Safety and EnjoymentSafety and Enjoyment
Wildlife Preservation and Wildlife Preservation and EnhancementEnhancement
Services & UsesServices & Uses
DirectDirect DrainageDrainage IrrigationIrrigation Flood controlFlood control Wetland conservationWetland conservation Water qualityWater quality Groundwater Groundwater
rechargerecharge Stormwater standardsStormwater standards Erosion and sediment Erosion and sediment
controlcontrol
IndirectIndirect Drinking waterDrinking water Fisheries habitatFisheries habitat Industrial use and Industrial use and
coolingcooling
District ProgramsDistrict Programs Regulation and Issue Management Regulation and Issue Management
Operations and MaintenanceOperations and Maintenance
Planning, Programming, and BudgetingPlanning, Programming, and Budgeting
Information & EducationInformation & Education
Monitoring, and Data CollectionMonitoring, and Data Collection
Quick Questions
ClarificationsClarifications
Ditches, Drainage &
Maintenance
Ditch & Drainage System13 Drainage Systems
in the Watershed Constructed: 1889 to
1918
Ditch 58 Constructed 1917
Transferred to Coon Creek WD in 1960
Last repair under drainage law in 1985
Last maintenance action 2010
Purpose of a Ditch
To Convey Water
Agriculture – Remove water from the root zone
Municipal – Prevent flooding, remove water from roads and prevent property damage
Roles & Goals of Ditches
1. Agricultural Drainage
2. Stormwater
3. Collector System
4. Trunk System
Requirements
Prevent flooding – upstream and downstream
Keep Creek system – fishable & swimmable
Protect Mississippi River, St. Paul & Minneapolis Water intakes
Maintenance
Routine – Comprehensive Inspections & Survey (Next 2013) (20% of system annually)
Non-Routine/Issues – Beaver, Obstruction, Tree Removal, Compliance, Illicit Discharge
Repair – Bank Stabilization, Channel Restoration
Quick Questions
ClarificationsClarifications
Property & Easements
Bundle of Rights Associated with Property
1. Sell2. Mortgage3. Bequeath4. Lease5. Use and Occupy6. Use existing
improvements7. Construct new
improvements
Consistent With Local Rules:
8. Grade, fill or excavate
9. Install permanent roads or widen existing ones
10. Excavate new lakes 11. Subdivide/develop 12. Farm
Easements
A right of use over the real property of another. .
Usually for a special Usually for a special purposepurpose
Historically was limited to Rights-of-way Rights over flowing
waters.
EasementsEasements
May be public or private. May be public or private. A private easementA private easement
limited to a specific individual limited to a specific individual Usually accessUsually access
A public easementA public easement granted to the public granted to the public Eg. Eg.
public streets and highwayspublic streets and highways right to navigate a river right to navigate a river
Nature of Easements
Restrictive
Prescriptive
Nature of Easements
Restrictive Easement Placed on land by
ownergovernment
Partially restricts its use Types of structures which may be built What may be done with the ground
itself
Nature of Easements
Prescriptive Easement Comes about through use, tradition or
designation May not be expressly created or recorded
Notes Does not convey the title to the property in
question, Typically pertains to a particular purpose Often requires less strict requirements of proof
Public Ditch Easements Prescriptive in Nature:
Easements “In Fact” established when ditch constructed.
Rights Reserved: The Ditch & Spoil Bank Access to ditch for:
Inspection Maintenance & Repair (Heavy equipment & deposition of
spoil) Improvement – Assuming due process
Size & Shape: Dimensionless (It’s a problem)
Quick Questions
ClarificationsClarifications
Outlots
Outlots
Left over parcels of land
Typically they may not fit into a particular lot or may contain Wetland Some other unique environmental
feature Storm water pond
Outlots
Conveyed to the City when the subdivision is approved
Typical City goals: Preserve undeveloped land for
environmental reasons. Access to a storm water pond, trail or
park land.
Outlots: The Problem
How to maintain them?
Dilemma: Lots usually in the center of the development Many properties share a common
property line Many opinions to consider when
deciding the maintenance standard to use.
Typical Outlot Management Strategies
Use a minimum maintenance standard to: Save money, Encourage more natural environment in
the City
Allow adjacent property owners to maintain/mow up to the property line (No mowing on the outlot)
Roles & Goals
Roles & Goals
Organ Planning
Regulate
Maintain
Research
Rolling Meadows HOA
* ?
City of Ham Lake
* * Home, street, storm
water, Floodplain,
Illicit discharge
*Street Stormsewe
r•Oulot
Coon Creek WD
* * Ditch, Ditch
easement, ESC, water
quality, wetland,
Illicit discharge
* Ditch * Flood, water
quality, wetlands
Questions?