10/27/2004 Env Bd Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Protecting the watershed discussed Posted: 7/23/04 by Brett Andersen Thisweek Newspapers Kevin Bigalke, Apple Valley representative on the Vermillion River Watershed Planning Commission, held a public forum July 19 for citizens to offer ideas and input about the future of the river. The commission has spent nearly 18 months developing a plan and identifying issues and goals for the watershed. They are nearing completion of the plan and will be sending it out for public review soon, according to Bigalke. He said he thought this was a good time to poll the public for ideas. During the meeting, forum attendees, many of whom lived on lakes in the watershed, divided into smaller groups to •scuss potential solutions and attitudes toward expenses improving water quality in the Vermillion River. One attendee referred to a potential drinking water shortage as, "the real hammer down the road" and money spent today to stave off a crisis "might sound like a good deal." Another participant said residents "can't make this a high enough priority" and felt strongly that any solution needed mandatory compliance. • Laws exist to protect the watershed, said one participant, but they need to be aggressively enforced. The Vermillion Watershed District is a taxing authority, and currently taxes $4 per year on a $200,000 property. That tax pays for a $344,000 budget, broken into $74,000 in monitoring, $3o,000 in education and $190,000 in administration and planning. Participants were given sample budgets if taxes were $8, $25 or $5o per year. At $50, the total budget would be $3.7 million and would pay for such things as 166 acres of buffer protection, 540 septic upgrades at $10,000 per upgrade, 40 acres of wetland restoration and 300 acres of agricultural incentives. Most participants seemed supportive of raising the tax, but several said they prefer to see a plan before committing to a dollar amount. A Farquar Lake resident referred to the $8 plan as "an insult," considering the amount of money which has been used in creating the problem. A.suggestion for helping people who had failing septic systems on their property but could not afford the $10,000 upgrade was establishing a fund to buy the upgrade, but then put a lien on the property so at sale the watershed tract could recoup the expense. ig issue Friends of the Mississippi River Watershed Programs Director Daniel Huff said the Vermillion watershed is the .argest in the metro area at about 335 square miles. A watershed is an area that drains to a single point. The Vermillion River is a groundwater -fed river. According to Huff, the cold clear water made it a brook trout stream.