top of page

Tiling and Permitting in Yellow Medicine SWCD

Wetlands are considered areas where water covers the soil or is present near the surface of the soil at various times of the year or throughout the year. There are different classifications of wetlands based on size and the amount of flooding. When most people think of a wetland they picture an area that has cattails, standing water, canary grass, ect. However, there are many wetlands that are currently being farmed through in our area. There are a lot of farmable wetlands in our area, which is acceptable as long as they are not being drained or filled. This is why we think it is important for you to file some paperwork to make sure you are not tiling, filling, or affecting a wetland. If a wetland is drained or filled there are fines that can be issued for the violations by state and federal government through the Wetland Conservation Act and Swampbuster. This is a complex subject involving multiple state and federal agencies:​

  • Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR)

  • Board of Soil & Water Resources (BWSR)

  • Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts (MAWD)

  • Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

  • National Resource Conservation District (NRCS)

The SWCD will gladly get you started on the right path to confirming you aren't affecting wetlands of any agency's

jurisdiction. Our goal is to keep you OUT of trouble and in a position to provide a positive effect on water quality.

Yellow Medicine SWCD's Wetland Conservation Act (WCA) Policy 

 How can I stay OUT of trouble?

  1. Contact your local FSA (Farm Service Agency) by stopping into their office or calling to request forms. The form provided will be called an AD-1026.

  2. Once completed and submitted back to the FSA office the AD-1026 will then be distributed by FSA staff to the SWCD (Soil & Water Conservation District) and NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) for determination if any wetlands will be impacted by the proposed project.

  3. After the SWCD and NRCS review the information you provide, they will send you with the final determination if there are any wetlands that will be impacted or not.

*MAKE SURE TO CONTACT THE WATERSHED DISTRICT (WD) WHERE THE PROJECT RESIDES FOR PERMITTING* If not, you could end up with a fine! 

​

CLICK HERE FOR YELLOW MEDICINE RIVER WD

​

CLICK HERE FOR LAC QUI PARLE RIVER WD

​

Contact the SWCD if you need help figuring out your Watershed District.

 

Time Frame for permitting varies greatly: Depends on the time of year and some applications may take longer than others to be processed.

​

Importance of Wetlands

Wetlands are a crucial part of our environment. They play an important role in protecting and improving water quality, provide habitat for fish and wildlife, and an area for water to go during flood periods. There are about 10.6 million acres of wetlands in Minnesota.

bottom of page