ACD collaborates with water management entities that share jurisdiction in Anoka County. There is a collection of watershed districts and watershed management organizations (WMOs) that cover all of Anoka County and fit together like puzzle pieces. 44% of ACD overlaps with well-staffed watershed districts and WMOs. The other 56% have no staff and rely solely on ACD to serve as their staff. The extreme efficiency that results from this partnership is remarkable.
Wetland Regulation Specialist: Providing shared regulatory expertise reduces the need for independent hiring and consulting across approximately 10 local government units.
De Facto Technical Staff: ACD serves as the direct technical and operational staff for three watershed management organizations (Upper Rum, Lower Rum, and Sunrise River WMOs) covering approximately 60% of Anoka County.
$ 1.52 Million in Local Taxpayer Savings: By consolidating administrative overhead and technical staff under ACD's lean framework, this shared-services model prevents these three WMOs from needing to hire independent administrators and project managers. Operating these regions independently would cost local taxpayers an estimated $1.95 million annually. By anchoring them to ACD, local taxpayers save a net $1,526,452 annually.
For more information contact Chris Lord, District Manager, at Chris.Lord.AnokaSWCD.org.