Organizational Information

Thirty Lakes Watershed District Board of Managers

There are five Managers on the Thirty Lakes Watershed Board.  Each is appointed by the Crow Wing County Board of Commissioners to serve a three year term. 

Tom Ebnet, President
Dale Armstrong, Vice President
Joseph J. Hampl, Secretary
Ray Wilson, Treasurer
Bruce Yund, Manager

Staff:
Marty Peisch, Administrator
Mary Lou Cody, Bookkeeper

Technical Consultant:
Alan Cibuzar, A W Research Laboratory

Advisory Board:
Robert Albrecht
Alex Bogdanovich
William LaTour

Meeting Schedule and Location:

The meetings are held the second and fourth Monday of each month, 9:00 am, at 17064 Commercial Park Road (Barbeau Pines Industrial Park), Brainerd, MN.

Contact Information:
Thirty Lakes Watershed District
17064 Commercial Park Road
Brainerd, MN  56401
(218) 828-0243
Fax: (218) 828-7006
Email:  lakeswsd@brainerd.net
Website:  www.30lakes.org 

Primary Goal of the District:

The protection of public health, safety and welfare and the prudent use of natural resources within the boundaries of the District.

Thirty Lakes Watershed District Rules:

Complete rules can be viewed on the website at 30lakes.org. Fair and consistent enforcement of the regulations is the District’s top priority.             

The Thirty Lakes Watershed District was established in 1971 and is located entirely within Crow Wing County.

There are 52 lakes within the District.  It was the thirtieth District to be created in Minnesota, hence the name Thirty Lakes.

The District covers 70 square miles and 60% of that area is covered by surface water.

Major Challenges of the District:

·         Increased growth & Development

·         Water quality

·         Wastewater Management

·         Land use changes

·         Stormwater Runoff

How the District is financed:

Watershed Districts are provided the authority to levy property taxes.  Their budgeting process is similar to that of a municipality.  A public hearing is held, and public comments are received before approval. 

In Memoriam

Richard “Dick” Beeson, Sr. passed away March 7, 2005.  He had served on the Board of Managers for 10 years, 9 of which he held the position of President.  He was a retired employee of 3M Company, and resided with his wife, Lorraine, on Lake Edward. 

He was passionate about his work for the Watershed District, and served loyally, even as his health declined.

He will be missed by his friends and colleagues!

Purpose of Thirty Lakes Watershed District:

• Protection & preservation of water quality
• Prevention & alleviation of flood damage
• Regulation of streams, lakes & water courses for domestic, recreational and public use
• Prevention of soil erosion & sedimentation
• Protection & conservation of the District’s water supplies
• Regulation of nutrient & toxic loading to the watercourses
• Implementing repairs, improvements, relocation, modification, consolidation and abandonment of drainage systems
• Protection & regulation of groundwater uses

Some of the Improvements Requiring a Watershed District Permit:

• Any work which requires a permit from the DNR or US Army Corps or Engineers if such work touches upon or affects any lake, stream, wetland irrigation or drainage ditch, or other surface waters, or any well or other ground waters.
• Any work which requires a permit from Crow Wing County, or any department, municipality or town thereof, if such work falls within 1,000 feet of the ordinary high water level of any lake, touches upon or affects any lake, stream, wetland, irrigation or drainage ditch.
• Any public or private street, road or highway construction project.
• Any drain tile or drainage ditch that drains directly or indirectly in any public waters.
• Dredging, draining or filling of any lowland, marsh, pond or drainage way
• Any bridge, dike, culvert or drain across a natural drainage way, lake or marsh.
• Diking, excavating, grading or filling adjacent to a drainage way, lake or marsh.
• Any field ditching or draining
• Any work on a lake lot which removes or alters an ice ridge.
• Any structure intended for commercial or industrial use to be built within the Watershed District.
• Land alterations that remove surface vegetation from more than one acre.

If you are planning to build or make changes to your property and you aren’t sure whether or not you will need a Thirty Lakes Watershed District Permit, PLEASE call our office at (218) 828-0243 or see the District’s Rules on our website, www.30lakes.org.

Major Challenges of the District:

• Increased growth & Development
• Water Quality
• Wastewater Management
• Land use changes
• Stormwater runoff

Strategies to Meet those Challenges:

·         On-site containment or treatment of a 100 year rain event for all stormwater plans

·         Implement  established lake management plans

·         Expand the current Public Education program to better educate and inform the community

·         Update land use information to enhance current and future planning

·         Implementation of GIS systems

·         On-line permitting

Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts (MAWD):

There are now 47 Watershed Districts in the State, ranging in size from 41 to 5,990 square miles.

As a member of MAWD, Thirty Lakes Watershed District hosted the annual Summer Tour in June.  The theme was “Improving Our Environment One Small Task at a Time”, and included a bus tour of 17 of the District’s projects and developments that had required District Permits.

About 150 members of other Watershed Districts attended the Tour which was headquartered in the Ramada Inn of Brainerd.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Who is Responsible?

Clean water requires a concerted, cooperative effort on the part of homeowners, businesses, farmers and visitors.  For a watershed management plan to be effective, coordinated efforts also need financial support.

Who Benefits?

Everyone.  We all share the benefits of usable water and also share the responsibilities for what goes on in the watershed.  Usable water supplies are critical to the health, aesthetic appeal and economic well-being of everyone in the District.

What is a Watershed?

An area of land from which all water drains to a given point is called a watershed.  It’s a ridge or stretch of high land dividing the area drained by different rivers or river systems.

Currently the District Boundaries do not reflect the true watershed area.  For that reason, Managers are considering petitioning to expand the size of the District to more accurately reflect the true water course.

What is a Watershed District?

It is a unit of local government, or political subdivision, administered by a Board of Managers.  A watershed district provides local people with a legal and financial authority to act upon locally initiated projects aimed at solutions to water problems.  It provides a vehicle to apply for Lake Improvement Grants and the necessary background data.

Who runs the Watershed District?

The Thirty Lakes Watershed District is administered by a five-member Board of Managers who are residents of the District.  They are appointed by the Crow Wing County Board of Commissioners. 

An Overall Plan provides the District’s operational strategy  and the framework within which the Managers carry out their authorized responsibilities.

Who Pays?

The Watershed District’s operating costs come from an administrative fund consisting of a tax levy which, by law, cannot exceed one mill (one-tenth of one cent) on each dollar of assessed valuation of all taxable property within the District.  The funds are used for general administration and projects of common benefit to all taxpayers in the District at the least possible cost.  Special projects petitioned by affected property owners are paid by levying a special assessment to benefited citizens only.

What do you get for your Tax Dollar?

• An “insurance policy” for protection of lakes and ground water in the District.
• An integrated, overall approach to water management, which is particularly important because surface and ground waters know no political boundaries and are often in two or more cities or townships.
• A local agency that can provide the kind of day-to-day investigations not possible by state and county governments that are further removed from immediate local problems and do not have the time or resources to handle issues of a large, intricate watershed.
• Water research studies.
• Background data on the watershed’s overall condition and its individual lakes.
• Information on the condition of individual lakes available for review by interested individuals and property owners. 
• The opportunity to have input in decisions affecting the water quality and to report potentially damaging activities.

Why Do We Need More Rules & Regulations?

The District’s rules and regulations are meant to control surface and ground water pollution.  They are management tools to prevent or retard runoff, erosion, algae growth and undesirable aquatic vegetation, discourage use of fertilizers and pesticides and encourage orderly development of lakeshores.  They do not usurp

Who needs a Permit?

Watershed permits are required for certain activities including dredging or filling any lowland, marsh, pond or other body of water; to dike, excavate, grade or fill adjacent to any lake or marsh; to drain any marsh or pond; for any work which removes or alters an ice ridge; and for the use of chemicals to control aquatic plants and insects.

What does a Permit cost?

The Applicant is charged for actual costs incurred by the District for onsite inspections, technical consultation, investigation and analysis of the proposed activity as well as any required subsequent monitoring. The District absorbs the initial $250.00 of the costs.  The additional expenses are billed to the Applicant.

What is a 100 Year Rain Event?

By definition, a 100 year rain event is 5.5 inches of rainfall within a 24 hour period.  The name is misleading, since these rainstorms happen far more frequently than once in a century.

For new developments, the District requires that plans be made for the retention or treatment of a 100 year rain event on the Applicant’s property.  This promotes groundwater recharge through infiltration of the precipitation.

How can I become involved?

The Watershed District offers the following volunteer opportunities:

1. Advisory Board:  This committee consists of technical and non-technical members and serves to provide additional input to the Managers and staff. 

2. Lake Gauge Monitoring:  Volunteers monitor lake levels throughout the summer on more than 20 lakes within the Watershed District.

3. Water Samples/Water Testing:  Volunteers and Managers take water samples from lakes, creeks and other

bodies of water as a part of various on-going projects.

If you are interesting in volunteering your time, please call the Watershed District Office at (218) 828-0243!  

There is No New Water

Who used your water last and what for?  Was it used in processing, stormwater runoff, cooling, growing crops, manufacturing, etc?  Was it monitored or cleaned before being discharged, either to surface water or to the soil?

In Minnesota we have a plentiful supply of water.  We tend to take this water for granted.  All of the water we use is recycled through evaporation, condensation or through the soil.  We need to keep our water pure and clean.  This is important for consumption, cleansing and recreation.  It is important for our standard of living that we often assume as automatically on-going.

We also need to educate people upon the importance of our water and the need for quality.  It is vital to maintain and be watchful as our population increases.  We need to impress upon residents and visitors to our state the importance of conserving and maintaining the quality of our water.  Just because you have acreage does not mean you are not polluting.

What can we do to keep our water clean?  This is an issue for every individual as well as groups.  We need to look at every project that we are involved with for water quality factors.  Will there be improvement?  Will it improve our water quality?

Questions?  Comments?

We’d like to hear from you!