Wellhead Protection

The City’s Wellhead Protection Committee has developed a comprehensive Wellhead Protection Plan. The Committee worked closely with the Department of Health, East Otter Tail Soil and Water Conservation District, Minnesota Rural Water Association and Minnesota Department of Agriculture in developing the plan. The Perham City Council adopted the plan in December 2005.

 

The plan identifies the Drinking Water Supply Management Area (DWSMA), includes a list of potential sources of contamination and sets short and long term strategies to protect the Cities water supplies.

 

The City’s DWSMA extends into agriculture area to the west and northwest of Perham. The area is characterized by intensive agriculture with a number of center pivot irrigation systems. A number of small wetlands that serve as points of interchange between surface and ground waters are located in the area.

 

The plan promotes of the land uses that are compatible with protection of ground water and the use of Best Management Practices to minimize the potential for contamination of the City’s drinking water supplies. In high priority area of the DWSMA the plan recommends placing land in the Conservation Reserve, Wetland Reserve, Reinvest In Minnesota and other public and private conservation programs or other low intensive (hay, pasture etc.) agricultural use. The Plan recommends the City consider acquisition of land in the priority area and conversion of the area to conservation or greenway areas to alter the intensive nature of irrigated row crops uses.