JC6 & CD47 Community Watershed Meeting

On February 16, nearly 60 area stakeholders gathered at the New Richland City Hall to discuss Joint County Ditch #6 and Waseca County Ditch #47. Participants defined flood extent and impacts areas of past flooding events, as well as to contribute to the conversation about where priorities should be placed when evaluating flood mitigation options. The meeting was headlined by an introduction to members of the Le Sueur River Watershed Network and a short discussion of their "Seven Steps towards cleaner water and river health", followed by the history of the New Richland area by a County Commissioner and Planning and Zoning staff. At the meeting, both small and large group discussions took place to identify local concerns, and to determine the next steps in working towards mitigation solutions.

On April 20, over 40 area stakeholders gathered again at the New Richland City Hall. At this meeting, citizens had the opportunity to pour over maps of historical imagery dating back to the 1940's, as well as maps defining physical characteristics including soil type and flow path elevations, to aid in the discussion of identifying potential flood management options. In addition, stakeholders were informed of answers to questions asked at the February meeting, and roles of staff and citizen members moving forward were further defined. Important outcomes of the meeting included:

1. The requirement to conduct an engineering feasibility study in order to identify potential management areas within the watershed;

2. the identification of potential funding options for conducting a feasibility; and

3. Participants stepped forward in order to serve on an advisory board for making informed decisions.