Local Water Planning

Local water planning in Minnesota is currently carried out at the county level. Beltrami SWCD is lead agency for developing and implementing our local water plan. Local water plans provide strategic guidance to decision makers.

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  • Priority Concerns
  • Water Plan
  • WPAC
  • Update Process
  • Data | Images
  • Related Information

The water planning process begins with assessment of priority concerns raised by various stakeholder groups. Numerous meeting were held in late 2007 to solicit public comments and concerns. Issues raised in this process provided context for developing the 2008-2013 Local Water Management Plan.

You can view and print a copy of the 2007 Priority Concerns Scoping Document which detail both the process and the outcomes of the priority concerns assessment..

The water plan for 2008-2013 is currently under review and will be presented to the Beltrami County Board for approval and adoption in June 2008. You can view a copy of the Draft Plan.

Previous Comprehensive Local Water Plans for Beltrami County

2002-2007 (144 page pdf) | |

The Water Plan Advisory Committee comprises X voting members and is chaired by an appointed member of the the Beltrami County Board. The Chair is a non-voting member of the Committe except in case of tie votes.

Water Plan Advisory Committee (Voting Members)

Beltrami County Board Representative and Committee Chair.....................Jim Heltzer
Beltrami County Commission District 1 Representative........................Chuck Conway
Beltrami County Commission District 2 Representative.................................Pat Welle
Beltrami County Commission District 3 Representative.........................Harold Fenske
Beltrami County Commission District 4 Representative............................Wes Frenzel
Beltrami County Commission District 5 Representative..........................Bob Melchior
Beltrami Soil and Water Conservation District Board Representative....John Persell II
Beltrami County Planning Commission Representative........................Merilee Meyers
Bemidji Area Joint Planning Board Representative...........................Becky Livermore
Leech Lake Reservation Representative...........................................Shirley Nordrum
Marshall-Beltrami SWCD Board Representative...............................Wallace Byklum
Red Lake Reservation Representative.......................................................Joel Rhode
Township Officers Representative.............................................................Murl Nord

Water Plan Technical Advisory Committee (Non-voting)

Beltrami Natural Resources Management.................................................Greg Snyder
Beltrami County Environmental Services.................................................Bill Patnaude
Beltrami Soil and Water Conservation District........................................Chris Parthun
Bemidji State University.........................................................................Don Cloutman
Bemidji Joint Planning Board...................................................................Mel Milender
City of Blackduck.........................................................................................Bob Klug
Headwaters Regional Development Commission................................Matthew Dyrdahl
Headwaters RC & D..........................................................................Colleen Oestrich
Marshall Beltrami SWCD.........................................................................Cheryl Sistad
Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources.........................................Chad Severts
Minnesota Department of Transportation.........................................................Bill Pirkl
Minnesota Department of Health.................................................................Beth Kluthe
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources – Division of Waters..................Dan Thul
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources – Area Fisheries.................Gary Barnard
Mississippi Headwaters Board.....................................................................Jack Frost
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.........................................................Lisa Scheirer
Natural Resource Conservation Service.......................................................Larry Voltz
Red Lake Watershed District..........................................................................Lee Coe
University of Minnesota Extension Service.............................................Eleanor Burkett
United State Forest Service........................................................................Luke Rutten

Water Plan Development Staff

Water Plan Coordinator............................................................................Chris Parthun
Beltrami SWCD Aquatic Biologist..............................................................Dann Siems

Proposals and recommendations to alter, enhance, or otherwise change the CLWP will first be presented to the Water Plan Advisory Committee (WPAC) at one of their regularly scheduled meetings. The WPAC may request the Local Water Planning Coordinator to gather additional information before making a decision.

If the WPAC feels the issue warrants an official amendment to the CLWP, they will record such in the official minutes, and their recommendation for an amendment will be forwarded to the Beltrami SWCD Board at their next monthly Board meeting. The SWCD Board will:

  1. Examine the associated fiscal or policy effects of the proposal.
  2. Examine and describe any potential conflicts with existing controls.
  3. Request official review of the proposed amendment as is deemed appropriate.
The Beltrami SWCD will prepare a report for the WPAC and present it at their next meeting. If the WPAC, after reviewing the Beltrami SWCD report, feels the issue warrants an official amendment to the CLWP, the minutes will record such, and the following process will be followed:
  1. All local agencies will have a sixty day period in which to review the proposed, amended CLWP, and submit any written comments to the Water Planning Coordinator.
  2. Any comments received during the local review period will be reviewed by the Water Planning Coordinator, who will respond to the comments received. This person will communicate the comments to the WPAC and the Beltrami SWCD Board, who may recommend incorporating the comments into the amended CLWP if they are deemed pertinent to the goals of the CLWP.
  3. A public hearing will be conducted pursuant to M.S. section 375.51, where the general public will be given the opportunity to officially comment on the proposed amendments.
  4. The WPAC may make recommendations based on the public hearing to the Beltrami SWCD Board, who may direct the Water Planning Coordinator to incorporate the comments into the CLWP if they are deemed pertinent to the goals of the CLWP.
  5. All State agencies will have ninety days to review the proposed amendments and provide written comments to the Water Planning Coordinator. Seven copies of the amended CLWP will be mailed to the BWSR, who will be responsible for distributing them to the appropriate reviewing agency.
  6. After the State review is completed, the Water Planning Coordinator will present any necessary recommendations for change to the Beltrami SWCD Board and will incorporate them into the CLWP upon SWCD Board approval. After final revision, the amended CLWP will be presented to the Beltrami County Board of Commissioners who will consider adopting the amended CLWP by formal County Resolution.

Links on this provide provide access to descriptive inventory data and imagery related to water resources of Beltrami County. Page content is updated continuously. If there are particular data or images you need, please send an e-mail to dann.siems@mn.nacdnet.net. Chances are if you need this information, someone else will as well.

Image files

Tabular Data

Beltrami County Shoreland Ordinance