The District appreciates the countless hours Manager Bruce Thorsen has donated to the District. Mr. Thorsen was appointed in June 2011 and held the office of Treasurer. As Treasurer, one of the many things he did was to develop a reporting format that helped make complex financial information more easily understood. An avid researcher on water resources, Mr. Thorsen often enthusiastically shared his discoveries with his fellow managers and District staff. We wish him well and we will miss him!
New Board Member, Charlie Howley
On July 26, the District’s new Manager, Charlie Howley, will be appointed to the District by the Scott County Board. Mr. Howley brings passion and a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Board. His experience as both a volunteer on committees in Norwood/Young America and Prior Lake and as a city council member in Norwood/Young America will be put to good use as he works with the agencies that are part of the 42 square mile watershed district. As a civil engineer who graduated from the University of Minnesota and has worked in a small consulting engineering firm for 15 years, he brings technical expertise that will be very helpful as the District considers and implements water quality and water quantity projects and policies. He is especially concerned about the impact of urban and rural erosion and sediment on local water bodies. An advocate of performing due diligence on water resources issues, he stated, “The Watershed District has a management plan and all of our actions need to be reviewed with that plan in mind. This is especially true with the recent flooding issues—we need to avoid “knee jerk reactions” in favor of careful consideration of flood mitigation options and how they will affect the long-term health of the watershed.”