When is PLSLWD Permit required?
A permit is required from the District when one or more of the following conditions are met:
Rule D: Stormwater Management and Rule E: Erosion & Sediment Control
Any land disturbing activity greater than one acre
-or-
Any land disturbing activity greater than 0.23 acre (10,000 square feet) within a shoreland protection zone (i.e. within 1,000 feet of a lake or DNR-protected wetland, or within 300 feet of the Prior Lake Outlet Channel).
Rule F: Floodplain Alteration
Any activity that alters or fills land below the 100-year critical flood elevation of any public waters, public waters wetland or other wetland.
Rule G: Wetland Alteration
Any activity that will drain, fill, excavate or otherwise alter a wetland.
Note: Permit projects also need to comply with District requirements under Rule J: Buffer Strips.
Rule H: Bridge and Culvert Crossings
Any activity that constructs, improves, repairs or alters a driveway, road or utility across the Prior Lake outlet channel or a watercourse with a tributary area in excess of 100 acres.
Rule I: Drainage Alterations
Any activity that artificially drains surface water, or obstructs or redirects the natural flow of runoff, so as to affect a drainage system established under Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 103E, or the public health and general welfare of the District.
All land disturbing activities, whether or not they require a permit from the District, must be completed in compliance with the standards and criteria of the District’s Rules and in conformance with best management practices. The District’s Rules are included in the Permit Handbook.
NOTE: The Prior Lake-Spring Lake Watershed District has a Memorandum of Agreement with the City of Savage and the City of Prior Lake where the Cities assume permitting responsibility within its areas of jurisdiction that are subject to the PLSLWD Rules. PLSLWD also has a Memorandum of Agreement with Scott County which covers projects which occur in the unincorporated areas of the District. These Cities and the County have adopted stormwater and buffer requirements that are equivalent to PLSLWD Rules. If a project falls within the Watershed District in these cities or townships, only a City permit (or County permit) will be required.
Cities that have equivalencies and the County are still required to obtain a PLSLWD permit for their projects.
Permit Applications
The District’s Rules require that any person or political subdivision undertaking an activity for which a permit is required must submit a permit application to the District for review.
The permit application package must be filed with the District at least 14 calendar days prior to the scheduled meeting date of the Board of Managers to be considered for inclusion on that meeting agenda. Late or incomplete submittals will be scheduled to a subsequent meeting date. Note that applications for subdivision projects should be submitted to the District prior to preliminary plat approval, preferably at the same time that the preliminary plat application is submitted to the local municipality.
The Board of Managers holds its regular monthly meeting on the second Tuesday of each month, at 6:00 p.m., to discuss and act on the business of the District, including permit applications. The meetings are usually held at the Prior Lake City Hall, 4646 Dakota Street SE, Prior Lake, MN. However, the meeting date, time or location may occasionally change due to meeting room conflicts or holidays; therefore, it is important to verify with District staff the date, time and location of a specific meeting.
A permit application will not be processed for consideration by the Board of Managers until the information required in the Rules has been provided and the application has been determined by District staff to be complete. To allow time to resolve questions and making any necessary revisions, the District recommends that applications be submitted 1-3 months prior to the meeting, depending on the complexity of the project.
See the Permit Handbook below for more detailed information and application materials.
Permit Handbook:
Permit Handbook – October 2015 edition
Click on the above link to download the Permit Handbook for permit information, application information and materials as well as District Rules.
Reporting a Problem:
ILLICIT DISCHARGE
If you see anyone dumping any substance other than stormwater in roadside ditches and storm drains, please report it to the District by calling (952) 447-4166. For potentially hazardous materials and petroleum spills, call 9-1-1 first when there is an immediate threat to life or property.
Read our Illicit Discharge Fact Sheet to learn more about identifying illicit discharges.
CONSTRUCTION PROJECT
If you observe an existing or potential water resource hazard on a construction site (e.g. dirty water running into a lake or wetland, open container hazardous materials in close proximity to a lakeshore, etc.), please call us as soon as possible at (952) 447-4166.