Stop the Roseau "Lake" and "River Restoration" Land Grab
The Roseau "Lake Rehabilitation" Project and "River Restoration" Project threaten up to thousands of acres of our productive, family-owned, tax-generating farmland...to build a permanent marsh. This will not turn the basin into a lake that can be used in any meaningful way, nor will it significantly reduce flooding or foster a wildlife habitat. There is no real public benefit to justify the devastating cost to local farmers and taxpayers. We have been here for generations. Please help us protect our farms from this land grab!
A Misguided Public Works Project with Huge Costs
The stated purpose of the Roseau Lake Rehabilitation Project and Roseau River Restoration Project is “flood damage reduction and improved habitat for…wildlife.” The Roseau River Watershed District Board (RRWD) wants to build a lake on the existing basin, that will supposedly minimize flooding. While eminent domain has never been disavowed by the Board, the current project stands to destroy our farmland by disrupting seasonal flooding patterns.
What will Roseau County Get in Return?
Not a recreational lake or an improved river, but a stagnant pond and flooding that will average six to twelve inches of water on many square miles of private land, which is no home for wildlife. A licensed hydrologist projected that the projects would not reduce flooding and will destroy valuable wetlands—at a cost far exceeding the watershed district's proposed multi-million dollar budget.
Small Farms vs. Big Agency
The Roseau River Watershed District Board (RRWD), whose members are not hydrologists, are funding these projects in conjunction with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council has committed millions towards these projects, despite being charged with restoring, protecting, and enhancing Minnesota’s wetlands and wildlife, goals that will not be achieved by these projects.
Keeping Landowners In the Dark
As landowners and taxpayers, we've been fighting these projects for years. Despite our willingness to work with the RRWD to come to an alternative, and our decades of experience farming our land, the Board has failed to address our concerns or provide sufficient information to us. In fact, the Board radically altered and approved a new operating plan the same day it was presented, a plan developed without consultation of landowners. The Board also continues to apply for permits, when affected property owners in the project footprint do not support it.
Please Help Minnesota Farmers
These projects would effectively flood residents out of their homes, buildings and farm facilities, render our land unfarmable and destroy our livelihoods. With huge costs and no clear public benefit, these projects amount to nothing more than a land grab.
The MN County Landowners Coalition includes over 90 local farmers, residents, and landowners in Roseau County who oppose this effort.