Rice Creek Watershed District - About

A. General
A.1. Where are you located?
We are located in the Village of Blaine, in Blaine Minnesota. For detailed driving directions and a map of our office location, please visit our office page.
A.2. What are your hours?
Our regular office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday though Friday. To find out more about our office, please refer to our office page.
A.3. What is a Watershed District?
A Watershed District is a local unit of government authorized under Minnesota statute 103D, whose goal is to conserve natural resources through land use planning, flood control, and other conservation projects. Watershed Districts, Rice Creek included, roughly follow the boundary of the natural watershed they are managing, rather than typical political boundaries.
A.4. What is a watershed?
Please refer to this topic.

B. Permitting
B.1. When is a permit required?
A permit is required if the total site area is greater than 2.5 acres for an industrial or multi-family project or greater than 5.0 acres for a single-family project. A permit is also required if the project will fill, drain or excavate a wetland, is within 1000 feet of a DNR protected water body, within 300 feet of a ditch or within a 100-year floodplain. Many wetlands do not have standing water in them during all or most of the year. The Watershed District should be contacted if there is any questions about the existence of wetlands on a piece of property.

B.2. How long is a permit valid?
An issued permit is valid for 18 months after the issue date. 30 days before the permit is due to expire, the applicant can apply for an 12 month extension.

C. Wetland Conservation Act
C.1. What wetlands are protected under the Wetland Conservation Act?
With few exceptions, all wetlands including those on private property, are protected under the Wetland Conservation Act. For further information, or information about a specific wetland please contact our office.

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