Control over the future of the Shell Rock River Watershed may finally be decided soon, as a state agency prepares to make a decision on whether to appoint a watershed board.

A subcommittee of the state’s Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) plans to hold a final meeting in Albert Lea within the next month, where it will hear testimony from the county, the city and the citizen group that first petitioned the agency to create the district.

A group of local lake advocates, frustrated by inaction by local governments on watershed improvement, petitioned the board in 2000 to create the district, which could levy taxes and manage the watershed independently of local governments. Lake activists say pollution, shoreline erosion, inadequate water-level control and debris in Albert Lea’s lakes must be addressed.

BWSR and Freeborn County agreed that the county would get a certain amount of time to start watershed efforts before BWSR would decide on whether to appoint a watershed board to run a newly created district. The county has since worked on plans, including a comprehensive management plan for Albert Lea Lake, but the program’s funding is in jeopardy for next year as the county slashes its budget in response to anticipated state aid cuts.

Jim Haertel, a water management specialist for BWSR, said the agency hasn’t made any decisions yet, but that he expects no more delays.

&uot;I don’t think my board will delay a decision any longer,&uot; he said.

Feb. 1 was the deadline for the county to demonstrate a sufficient commitment to watershed improvement. Hartel said the county submitted documentation of its efforts by the deadline, and the agency has been reviewing and clarifying the plan and working on arranging the final meeting in the weeks since.

He said the possible cut of watershed funds from the county budget don’t help the county’s chances of avoiding an independent watershed board from being appointed.

&uot;Even before any talk (of cutting the budget), I couldn’t say with any definitiveness which way my board would go,&uot; he said. &uot;There seem to be many open areas that are open for debate.

&uot;Certainly, the county moved forward and made some great steps toward water management the last few years.&uot;

The BWSR board has 17 members appointed by the governor. The subcommittee assigned to the Shell Rock River Watershed consists of four members, who will make a recommendation to the full board.

If it decides to create a watershed district, BWSR would appoint the governing board, and as members’ terms expire, the spots would be filled through appointments by the Freeborn County Board. The watershed board would not need to get county approval for its decisions.