Clean Water Management

WINLAC Watershed Planning Initiative

On behalf of the Mississippi River-Winona La Crescent (WinLaC) One Watershed, One Plan (1W1P) Partnership, Winona County Planning and Environmental Services Department will be accepting Statements of Qualifications from consultants with interest and experience in developing watershed plans.

Request for Qualification (RFQ) and RFQ Questions and Answers are posted on this page before the grant reports.

Thank you for providing your input!

Stay up to date on the planning process at:                  Bit.ly/WinLaC1W1P

Comprehensive Local Water Plan

The Winona County Board of Commissioners adopted the Winona County Comprehensive Local Water Management Plan 2011 through 2015 on December 13, 2011. The adoption of a Comprehensive Local Water Management Plan is authorized under Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 103B.301-103B.355.

The preparation of Winona County's Local Water Management Plan involved four phases.

Phase 1: Priority Concerns Scoping Document

Preparation of priority concerns scoping document which identified and documented priority concerns with input from local units of government, a citizen survey, Winona County's Water Management Committee, and state agencies;

Phase 2: Review and Comment

Review and comment by the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR);

Phase 3: Plan Development

The County developed a written plan which contains goals and objectives to address the priority concerns and an implementation program.

Phase 4: Public Hearing and Plan Approval

A public hearing was held on May 31, 2011, to obtain citizen input on the final plan. The plan along with minutes of the public hearing was sent to BWSR. BWSR reviewed the plan for compliance with the Priority Concerns Scoping Document and the required contents. BWSR also notified and requested recommendations from agencies. The BWSR Board approved the plan on October 26, 2011. On December 13, 2011, the Winona County Board of Commissioners locally adopted the plan.

The purpose of the comprehensive local water management plan is to link land-use activities with the protection and improvement of surface and groundwater resources. The plan serves all local government units as a guide for policymakers and capital considerations. Further, these plans allow local units of government to receive Natural Resource Block Grant allocations and apply for additional grant funds to implement water resource management activities.