Fillmore SWCD

Promoting Natural Resource Stewardship

Fillmore SWCD

FILLMORE COUNTY NEWS RELEASE

· ·

FILLMORE COUNTY NEWS RELEASE
November 20, 2025

Public Comment Sought for Fillmore County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan

Fillmore County has completed an updated draft of its Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) and is now seeking public feedback.

Like all Minnesota counties, Fillmore County is vulnerable to a variety of natural hazards such as tornadoes, windstorms, severe winter storms, flooding, drought, and extreme temperatures, which can threaten the loss of life and property in the county. Planning for natural disasters minimizes the impact of events that can cause vast economic loss and personal hardship.

All county residents, interested agency or organizational stakeholders are encouraged to review and offer feedback on the draft plan and proposed local mitigation actions.  The review and comment period is open for a period of 15 days through December 4, 2025. The public can access the plan using the following links:

Fillmore County HMP Website Homepage (feedback form at the bottom of page)

Fillmore County Mitigation Action Charts (feedback form at the bottom of page).

The Fillmore County HMP is a multi-jurisdictional plan that covers Fillmore County, including all cities and townships within the county.  The Fillmore County HMP also incorporates the concerns and needs of other key stakeholders such as school districts and related agencies, organizations, or businesses participating in the planning process.

Update of the plan has been under direction of Fillmore County Emergency Management in cooperation with U-Spatial at the University of Minnesota Duluth and representatives from county departments, city and township governments and other participating stakeholders.  Together, the planning team worked to identify cost-effective and sustainable actions to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life or property from natural hazards. Examples include infrastructure projects for areas that experience repetitive flooding; construction of safe rooms in areas where residents and visitors are vulnerable to tornadoes and severe storm events; burying powerlines that may fail due to heavy snow, ice, or wind storms; ensuring timely emergency communication to the public through warning sirens and mass notification systems; and conducting outreach to increase public awareness of severe weather and personal preparedness.

Hazard mitigation planning helps Fillmore County and other jurisdictions protect their residents. Working with local communities through the process helps identify vulnerabilities and develop strategies to reduce or eliminate the effects of a potential hazard. In addition, increasing public awareness of natural disasters and encouraging personal preparedness helps to create a community that is resilient to disaster, and breaks the cycle of response and recovery. Updating the plan further allows Fillmore County and its jurisdictions to be eligible to apply for future FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant program funding for projects that help to reduce or eliminate the impacts of future natural hazard events.

Community feedback is vital to the success of the plan. Fillmore County invites public review and feedback of the draft plan prior to submitting it to the State of Minnesota and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for review. Comments, concerns, or questions regarding the draft plan or ideas for mitigation projects should be submitted either via the Hazard Mitigation Plan website online public feedback form or by contacting Fillmore County Emergency Management.

Contact:

Jason Harmening
Emergency Management Director/Deputy Sheriff
Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office
507-765-2830

jharmening@co.fillmore.mn.us

Fillmore SWCD’s 2024 Conservationist of the Year

· ·

Fillmore SWCD would like to recognize and congratulate
Carter and Abigail Lee and their family of Rushford, MN.

The Lee family has been utilizing Federal dollars through the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) and One Watershed One Plan (1W1P) funding to establish pasture management by converting cropland and permanent pasture to a rotational grazing system. They have also been improving their forestland and addressing and removing invasive species.

Their current cow/calf operation utilizing many sensitive features throughout the grazing system, which includes management of trout streams, highly erodible land and DNR grasslands. With their grazing system, this allows them to have green grass pastures for 8 months of the years and then they switch to their season long cover crop fields which helps give their pastures their needed resting period.

With all their dedicated time and their willingness to promote conservation, Fillmore SWCD is honored to have the Lee family as our Conservationists of the Year.

Public Notice of Intent to Amend and Renew the Root River Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan through the One Watershed, One Plan Program

· ·

60-Day Comment Period Open for Public Input on Water Management Issues
Notice Date: 6/4/25
Comment Period Closes: 8/3/25

The Root River Watershed Partnership is initiating a plan renewal amendment of the Root River Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan for the next 10-year planning cycle and invites all interested stakeholders to participate in this process.

About the Root River Watershed Planning Area

The Root River Watershed is located in southeastern Minnesota and spans portions of Dodge, Fillmore, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, and Winona Counties. The watershed encompasses a diverse landscape of agricultural lands, forests, karst features, cold water streams, and thriving communities. The planning area for the Root River Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan includes the Upper Iowa and Mississippi–Reno watersheds for a total drainage area of over 1.3 million acres (see map below).

Purpose of the Plan Renewal Amendment

The original Root River Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan was approved by the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) in December 2016, with an expiration date of December 2026. The time has come to review the plan to reflect, updated science and data, local needs, and evolving state and federal policies by clarifying priorities, goals, and actions. This process provides an opportunity to:

  • Evaluate progress toward achieving previous water quality and conservation goals;
  • Incorporate new local plans, projects, and ordinances;
  • Validate and streamline priority issues and focus areas based on stakeholder feedback and scientific assessment;
  • Enhance inter-agency coordination and implementation efforts.

The amended plan will be submitted to the Board of Water and Soil Resources for approval
and will be valid for 10 years from the approval date.

Invitation for Public Input

As part of this plan renewal amendment process, all stakeholders—local government units, state agencies, landowners, nonprofit organizations, and members of the public—are invited to submit water management issues they feel the updated plan should address. We are especially interested in input related to:

  • Local land use plans, zoning ordinances, or comprehensive plans
  • Special projects or infrastructure (e.g., wastewater facilities, stormwater systems)
  • Source water and wellhead protection plans
  • Habitat and natural resource protection initiatives
  • Agricultural conservation needs or drainage management
  • Flood risk reduction and climate resilience strategies
  • Any other water-related concerns or opportunities for coordination

Comments and input should be submitted within the 60-day public notice period ending August 3rd 2025.

How to Submit Comments

Please send your input in writing to:
Nikki Wheeler, C/O Fillmore SWCD
PO Box 45, Preston, MN 55965
nikki.wheeler@fillmoreswcd.org

Electronic submissions via email are encouraged. All feedback received will be considered in the plan update process and may help shape future water and land management priorities in the Root River Watershed.

We appreciate your engagement in ensuring that the next 10-year Root River Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan continues to support a resilient and sustainable watershed for all its communities and ecosystems.

Planning Area Map

Feedlot Meeting Notice

· ·

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is proposing to amend existing Minnesota Rules Chapter 7020 governing animal feedlots.
Plan to attend one of the upcoming meetings in our area for the feedlot rule changes that are going to happen.

  • June 24 — New Ulm 9:30-11:30 a.m. New Ulm Community Center
  • June 24 — Albert Lea 2:30-4:30 p.m. Riverland Community College
  • June 26 — Chatfield 9:30-11:30 a.m. Chatfield Center for the Arts
  • June 26 — Zumbrota 2:30-4:30 p.m. Zumbrota VFW