This page provides a comparison of governance structures for watershed authorities in Minnesota.
Watershed districts (WD) are established by petition (Minnesota Statutes §103D.201-225) and may occur within or outside of the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area.
Watershed management organization (WMO) refers to a watershed authority within the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area. A WMO can be a watershed district or a joint powers organization among counties or municipalities (Minnesota Statutes §103B.201-253). Joint powers WMOs are sometimes called watershed management commissions (WMC); there is no functional difference between a joint powers WMO and a WMC.
Duties and Responsibilities
M=Mandatory
D=Discretionary
| Duties and Responsibilities | WD | Metro WD | Joint Powers WMO/WMC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adopt a watershed management plan | M | M | M |
| Prepare an annual report | M | M | M |
| Appoint an advisory committee | M | M | M [1] |
| Manage a transferred drainage system | M | M | D |
| Receive drainage system improvement and establishment and petitions | M | M | D |
| Adopt water management rules | M | M | D |
| Receive petitions for projects | M | M | D |
| Conduct hearing on annual budget | M | M | D |
| Hire employees | D | D | D |
| Enter into contracts and agreements | D | D | D |
| Regulate development | D | D | D |
| Initiate projects | D | D | D |
| Approve local water plans | D | M | M |
| Financing authority | D | D | D |
| Ad valorem tax | D | D | D |
| Special assessments [2] | D | D | D |
| Stormwater utilities [2] | D | D | D |
| Fees [2] | D | D | D |
[1] A joint powers watershed management organization must identify a procedure for establishing citizen and technical advisory committees (Minnesota Rule 8410.0030, Subp. 1G)
[2] May be assessed on a subwatershed basis by a local unit of government within a WD/WMO.
Governance Features
| Feature | Watershed District | Joint Powers WMO |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Managers | 3 to 9 | Any number; usually one per member county or municipality |
| Manger Appointment | Managers appointed by the county board(s). [3] | Board members (usually called managers or commissioners) are appointed by member boards |
| Manager Limitations | Managers cannot be public officers of the county, state, or federal government. | Staff or local units of government that are members of the joint powers WMO are not eligible to be appointed to the board. The joint powers agreement may set other limits. |
| Levy Limits | See Minnesota Statutes §103D.905. | No limit except as defined in the joint powers agreement. |
[3] The first board of managers is appointed by the Board of Water and Soil Resources; all later replacements are appointed by the county board(s).