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SWWD Development Permit

Overview

SWWD Rules

Under Minnesota State Statute 103D, SWWD retains the power to establish rules for the betterment of water quality. The purposes include carrying out policies outlined in the Watershed Management Plan, ensuring that water and natural resources are considered, protected, and preserved within the District. 

The District recognizes that municipalities hold the responsibility for deciding on suitable land uses. Because of this, we work closely with local municipalities during the review process for development permit applications in the area. Ultimately, managing water quality and stormwater runoff remains a primary responsibility of the District, ensuring we all work together to responsibly manage the resource.

Areas Covered by District Rules

  • Erosion and sediment control
  • Wetland management
  • Waterbody crossings
  • Floodplain management
  • Landlocked basins
  • Stormwater management and water quality
  • Groundwater management
  • Water appropriation
  • Greenways and open spaces
  • Illicit discharge and connections
  • Projects that disturb one or more acres require the Watershed District review

Read the District Rules

Review Process

Once a project applicant is familiar with the review process and requirements, this section provides access to technical data used in the project review process.

Developer Required Submittals

Developers of proposed projects covered by the rules must provide the District with the required submitals. Review and permitting procedure, and associated fees, will vary based on municipal management

Permits Inside of Municipal LWMPs

SWWD review and permitting are not required for projects in municipalities where a SWWD-approved municipal Local Water Management Plan (LWMP) is adopted and controls are up to date. 

In those municipalities, the rules requirements are deemed satisfied when a municipal permit and final plans have been submitted to the District. 

LWMP Project Review Terms

Projects are subject to SWWD review and permitting when required under a municipal LWMP, when the applicant is seeking a variance to LMWP requirements, or when the SWWD Board of Managers deems a permit is necessary. 

Permits Without a Municipal LWMPs 

Projects that require a permit that take place in a municipality without an LWMP is subject to SWWD review and permitting.

Required Submittal Materials

Developers of proposed projects covered under these Rules must provide the following submittals. All files must be submitted as a PDF file.

  1. Existing site conditions
  2. Grading and utility plan
  3. Erosion control plan consistent with the State NPDES permit
  4. Engineering design calculations, including:
    • Total project area and area of disturbance
    • Volume of all constructed or modified water bodies
    • Areas of delineated wetlands and wetlands impacts resulting from the project
    • Drainage divides and areas for existing and proposed conditions
    • Hydrologic model results for existing and proposed conditions use a 24-hour MSE3 Atlas 14 storm event for return periods of 2,10, and 100 years
    • The normal water surface elevation, 100-year flood elevation, dead storage volume, and flood storage volume for all ponds or other water bodies involved
    • Supporting data used to calculate Cn values
    • Floodplain alteration calculations
    • Water quality calculations
    • Rating curves for all outlets from water bodies within the development
  5. Engineering design details
  6. Landscape and vegetation plans
  7. Soil borings and locations on site
  8. Projects utilizing infiltration practices must also submit:
    • Construction details and specifications
    • Timing of the construction of infiltration practices
    • Operation and maintenance plan
    • Calculations and supporting data for infiltration practices used in overall hydrologic calculations

Application Review

SWWD Board of Managers considers all complete applications. Permit applications and all necessary supporting documents must be received 22 days before the date of the board meeting at which the application will be considered. Applications will not be considered complete until the necessary applications are also filed with the municipality where the project is planned to take place. The managers will approve or deny completed applications, following Minnesota Statutes, Section 15.99, as amended. 

Please review the full SWWD Rules document for more information on the application review process, including issuance of permits, expiration, modification to permits, project suspension or permit revocation, fees and escrow, and permit compliance. 

Apply for a Permit

John Loomis

Staff Contact

Questions? Reach out to John Loomis, Administrator, at John.Loomis@swwdmn.gov or call 651.728.6038.

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