Creek Maintenance

Value of our Creeks

These waterways are the vital piece to storm water management for your property and our City. They carry direct runoff from creekside properties and provide a habitat for wildlife and a host of aesthetic benefits. Our creeks are an irreplaceable natural resource. 

Why Your Help Matters

Most creeks are located on private property and are not public water, much of the responsibility for the health of the creek lies with the residents. Ownership of creekside property carries special responsibilities and risks. You and your neighbors on both sides of the creek share responsibility for maintaining your banks and riparian vegetation. By properly exercising this responsibility you enhance your own property but also prevent erosion and avoid flood losses. Another benefit is the preservation of the community’s water quality. The City has some easements on private property. Easements most often provide protection to the riparian area, protection of drainage paths, and access for the construction and maintenance of specific facilities. The easement typically does not assign responsibility for regular maintenance of the creek area to the City. 

Preventative Maintenance

• Check your creek bank regularly for signs of erosion and correct problems as they arise. Native plantings can help stabilize your banks. Re-vegetate barren slopes as quickly as possible. These plants help to bind soil particles, filter runoff, absorb water, and protect against undercutting. 
• Don’t locate structures in the riparian corridors. Not only are they subject to damage and loss, it decreases the creek’s ability to handle high flows safely and hinders the stability of the slope. 
• Never throw brush, grass clippings, and pruning into your creek. This debris may be carried downstream and create blockages that promote localized flooding and erosion. 
• Manage all debris and garbage. Accumulation of excessive natural debris in your creek or on its banks will cause blockages and can compromise the capacity of the creek to carry stormwater. It will also increase erosion by deflecting stream flow into the slopes of the creek. Routinely check the creek channel for fallen trees, branches, and brush. Remove the blockage promptly.
• Control your run-off. Stormwater running off your property can carry pollutants directly to the creek. Guide downspout discharge away from the creek in a protected manner. Drain pipes projecting directly into the creek cause increased erosion. 
• Be aware that many natural appearing banks are vulnerable to erosion because shallow-rooted invasive plants, which don’t provide effective bank stabilization, have forced out native plants. When possible the invaders should be carefully removed and replaced with native vegetation. Steele County SWCD can also assist in questions about native plants. 
• Always seek expert technical advice before attempting a major restoration of creek banks. While simply placing rock on your bank may seem like the easiest option, in some scenarios this will encourage downstream erosion to be accelerated. Vegetating with willows has been a successful practice nationwide. 
• Consider your neighbors. A group effort to restore and maintain the creek will greatly benefit you by sharing costs and avoiding the creation of downstream issues. 

If you have dams or jams that are a result of excess debris and fallen trees, please promptly remove the debris from the watercourse. This will help prevent localized flooding and protect the safety of the community. If you are uncertain of your responsibilities or requirements, please contact us at stormwater@owatonna.gov