Riverway Mitigation

The new St. Croix River Crossing Bridge located in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota and Houlton, Wisconsin will create significant impacts and changes to St. Croix County and the Lower St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and its watershed, including stimulating additional residential growth and related business development, and changes to the surface water, groundwater, landscape and other resources.

Mitigation Final Report on Activities

Memorandums of Understanding

To mitigate these and other potential impacts, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), National Park Service, St. Croix County, Town of St. Joseph and University of Wisconsin-River Falls entered into two Memorandums of Understanding (MOU).

  • The Growth Management MOU (PDF) provides financial support for the development of various studies, plans, tools and activities to help address the needs of local governments to improve their abilities to manage growth and to promote natural, cultural and historic resource protection in the watershed, thus preserving water quality and scenic values. $750,000 has been directed toward local government support and $400,000 for greenspace protection.
  • The Riverway Mitigation MOU (PDF) is available to mitigate the negative and adverse effects of the new St. Croix River Crossing on the scenic and recreational values of the Lower St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. MnDOT is providing St. Croix County $2,000,000

Growth Management

  1. Final Growth Management MOU (PDF)
  2. Mitigation Activity Summary (PDF)
  1. Project Criteria (PDF)
  2. Project Proposal Application (PDF)

Riverway (Bluffline)

  1. Final Riverway MOU (PDF)
  2. Mitigation Activity Summary (PDF)
  1. Project Criteria (PDF)
  2. Project Proposal Application (PDF)

Funded MOU Projects

Local Government Planning Zoning Support

  1. Economic Impact Analysis (PDF)
  2. LIDAR (PDF)
  3. St. Croix Comp Bike and Pedestrian Plan(PDF)
  4. St. Joseph Bike and Ped. Trial Plan (PDF)
  1. St. Joseph Comp Plan--Scoping Project (PDF)
  2. St. Joseph River Crossing Coordinator (PDF)
  3. Town of St. Joseph Comprehensive Plan Update (PDF)
  4. UWRF Conference Supplement (PDF)

Water Resources Planning / Protection

  1. Basin Team Recommended Projects (PDF)
  2. Coordinator Position (PDF)
  3. Hwy 64 Coalition--Phase 1 (PDF)
  1. State of the Lake Report (PDF)
  2. Watershed Modeling BMPs (PDF)

Other Documents

  1. Citizen Participation Plan (PDF)
  2. County Timeline (PDF)
  3. Growth Management Mitigation Items June 1, 2016 - May 31, 2017 (PDF)
  4. Project(s) Approved for Funding June 1, 2016- May 31, 2017 (PDF)
  5. SCC-Funding Summary (PDF)