Darren Carlson
District Manager
Kittson Soil and Water Conservation
District (SWCD)
410 South 5th Street, Suite 106
Hallock, MN 56728
(218) 843-2619 Ext. 3
www.nwmnswcd.org/Kittson_SWCD
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Kittson County is a
large rural county
covering 1,103 square
miles.
2000 Census
population was 5,285.
2008 estimated at
4,691.
A decline of about 1%
per year.
9 communities in
Hallock (60% of total
population).
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Out of the ten major water basins in
Minnesota, Kittson County lies entirely in
the Red River Basin.
Kittson County is divided into four major
watersheds: Joe River (10%), Roseau
River (3%), Middle/Tamarac/Snake River
(2%) and the Two Rivers (85%).
Kittson County has a very flat topography
and is heavily ditched for agricultural
purposes.
Legend
County
Major River
Two Rivers Watershed
Joe River Watershed
Roseau River Watershed
Tamarac/Snake/Middle River Watershed
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Kittson SWCD is the local government
unit responsible for the Local Water
Management Plan.
The is the 4th generation plan.
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1st generation plan adopted in 1990.
2nd generation plan adopted in 1995.
3rd generation plan adopted in 2003.
The current Water Plan expired
December 31, 2009.
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Abandoned well sealings.
Private well testing
program.
Feedlot Inventory.
Started an abandoned
well inventory.
Beaver Bounty Program.
Website.
Numerous Two Rivers
Watershed projects were
cost share.
Gravel Pit Inventory.
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Kittson SWCD Board
Member
Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency (MPCA)
Two Rivers Watershed
Representative
City of Halma
Representative
Kittson County Highway
Department Rep.
Board of Water and Soil
Resources (BWSR) Rep.
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Kittson SWCD/CLWP
Coordinator
Kittson County
Environmental Serv. Rep.
Kittson County Auditor
Natural Resources
Conservation Services
(NRCS)
Department of Natural
Resources (DNR)
Kittson County
Commissioner
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The WRAC met, October 15, 2008 to
review all the comments received from
the local agencies and the public.
After reviewing all of the priority
concerns submitted and after much
discussion, the WRAC decided to go with
three priorities:
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Land Use
Surface Water
Groundwater
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Kittson County Board of Commissioners
adopted a resolution on June 3, 2008
requiring the update and revision of the
CLWMP.
The Priority Concern Scoping Document
(PCSD) was presented to the BWSR
North Water Planning committee on April
8, 2009.
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Following the approval of the PCSD, the
WRAC met, November 23, 2009 to
develop the Water Plan’s specific goals
and action items.
The WRAC and citizens of Kittson County
identified the County’s water related
resource management needs
(Objectives) and mapped out a course of
action to address those needs (Goals).
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The objective of this concern is to reduce
erosion and sedimentation through the
use of existing programs and
development of new programs.
Three subwatersheds were identified by
the WRAC as target areas to implement
programs/practices, but not to neglect
the rest of Kittson County residents
outside of the targeted subwatersheds.
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Contact Landowners and
Identify needs
Install grass filter strips
Keep residents informed of
incentive programs such as
EQIP
Install field windbreaks,
living snow fences,
shelterbelts.
BMP for Greenwood
Cemetery
Restore wetlands
Conduct an annual crop
residue survey
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Seek funding from other lgu
such as WD, County,
Sportsmen’s Clubs, etc.to
implement practices
Implement a procedure for
choosing the most effective
bang for the buck
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The objective of this concern is to
provide protection of all surface waters
Once again a subwatershed was selected
by the WRAC to be targeted, but does
not mean to ignore the rest of the county
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Assist with water quality
monitoring
Assist all agencies with the
TMDL studies
GIS/Arc Map possible
locations for side water
inlets
Install grass filter strips,
field windbreaks, wetland
restorations
Continue with streambank
stabilization projects
Develop a septic system
inventory
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The objective of this concern is the
protection of ground water in Kittson
County.
The main objective will be to focus on
protecting drinking water resources. All
public water supplies come from an
underground water source in Kittson
County.
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Continue the well
sealing program
GIS Arc Map
abandoned and
sealed wells
DNR Ob Well
Readings
Wellhead Protection
Plans
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WRAC completed the draft Water Plan on
November 23, 2009 and set a public hearing for
December 15, 2009.
Comments received during the hearing from
DNR, BWSR, Two Rivers Watershed District and
the Kittson County Highway Department
included in adding an additional subwatershed,
“Unnamed Coulee” into the Land Use priority
and Living Snow Fences for safer roads.
The Water Plan was submitted to BWSR at the
start of the New Year.
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Comments were received from MPCA and
MDA.
Both agencies approved the entire plan
as submitted.
MPCA offered comments for
consideration on a few grammatical
items.