The MSTRWD Permit Requirements are not intended to delay or inhibit development. Rather, Permits are necessary so that the Board is kept informed of planned work, can advise Permit applicants and, in some cases, provide assistance, and to ensure that land disturbing work and development occurs in an orderly manner and in accordance with the District’s Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan.
Works that require a permit:
- Waste disposed of directly or indirectly into any drainageway, including public drainage systems.
- Any in‐field drainage, including installation of surface and subsurface drains, which creates a new outlet, or improves an existing outlet to a public drainage system.
- Any installation of a new or improvement to an existing subsurface tile drainage system which increases drainage coefficient.
- Any new diking, excavating or levee construction or improvement to an existing bridge, dike, levee or culvert in or adjacent to any drainageway that will change the hydraulic efficiency of the drainageway or restrict flows adjacent to the drainageway.
- Any work causing the flow or drainage of surface water to cross a sub‐watershed boundary and thereby deliver water into another sub‐watershed.
- Any diversion or acceleration of water into any public drainage system from any land not assessed to that drainage system.
- Any construction, installation or alteration of a road or utility crossing beneath a public drainage system.
- Any pumping of water, including the use of temporary or portable pumps, into a public drainage system or other drainageway. In emergency situations such pumping may be subject to an after‐the‐fact permit as provided in the District’s Rules.
- Any installation, extension or alteration of a dike, if the final dike (taken as a whole) has accumulative effect of altering the drainage of more than ten (10) acres of land.
All permit requests must be submitted in writing on the provided MSTRWD Permit Application Form linked below. Applications must be submitted by noon, Wednesday, before the upcoming Board Meeting for the application to be considered.
Permit Application Form
The following exhibits must accompany the Permit application for subsurface tile drainage:
- Site map of the location of all surface water inlets, outlet(s), lift stations,
pumps, and flow control structures. - Plan of system estimated drainage coefficient.
- If included in the system design, the description and location of surface water inlets, and the design and provision for diking of flow to surface inlets.
- Descriptions of erosion control measures.
- Subsurface tile drainage system operating plan.
- The maximum and minimum theoretical discharge volume of the proposed
system.
Drain Tile Permit Checklist Form
An operating plan shall be signed and submitted along with the Drain Tile Permit Application. The Operating Plan describes how the pump or outlet will be managed and who is to be contacted in the event of problems or emergencies.
Drain Tile Operating Plan Template
No tile pumping during flooding conditions! Flooding conditions shall be defined as a condition in which the immediate downstream tile outlet is at its full capacity or has
exceeded its full capacity. In addition, flooding conditions include:
- When the downstream system or the outlet of a system is experiencing flooding.
- When the National Weather Service Flood Probability Prediction reaches Morderate or Major Flood Stage at the closest downstream Prediction Site.
Flood Stage Chart EGF-Oslo-Drayton
A permit applicant or their agent who receives a permit shall notify the District once the
applicant has completed the work subject to the Permit and is available for inspection. The
Board may require an as‐built inspection to be performed by MSTRWD staff. The Permit
applicant or their agent must complete the Completion Form and submit said form to the
District office. NO ADDITIONAL PERMITS SHALL BE GRANTED BY THE BOARD OR
ADMINISTRATOR TO THE APPLICANT UNTIL ALL OUTSTANDING COMPLETION FORMS FOR THAT APPLICANT ARE RECEIVED BY THE DISTRICT.
