MORRIS, Minn. — The West River Dairy expansion project cleared another hurdle Sept. 1 when the Stevens County Commissioners approved a conditional use permit for the project to move ahead.
The approval came with a vote of 3-1, with one commissioner abstaining.
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The dairy, owned by Riverview LLP, is seeking to expand to a maximum capacity of 18,855 mature dairy cows, an increase from 7,855 cows currently. This expansion, if realized, would make it the largest such operation in the state. Riverview is planning to expand this dairy along with build new dairies in North Dakota and South Dakota to take advantage of what they see as increased demand for dairy products.
Following this approval, the remaining step for Riverview is receiving a DNR water permit, which is still in process. This brought some concerns for the commission, but they were told that if Riverview does not get the water permit, the CUP is invalid.
Leading up to the approval, the commission reviewed what was recommended by the county planning commission, which had 14 conditions for consideration. Some of those included scope limits for construction; expansion limits; maintenance of a feedlot permit; maintenance of an active groundwater permit; compliance with state and federal standards; storm water, manure, road and carcass management plans; plans for manure spills; and the county’s right to inspect the facility, structures and records unannounced as it finds necessary to verify compliance. The planning commission held two meetings in August.
A large gathering was present for the Sept. 1 meeting. Several area residents voiced their concerns about the project and its environmental impact.
One speaker was Matthew Sheets, who has been a vocal organizer for a group still actively opposing the project, Land Stewardship Project. He shared that the commission was sent a letter signed by 190 people pushing for additional conditions. Some of those conditions include a more in-depth hydrology study. He felt that the commission should not take action on the CUP until after a conclusion is reached on a lawsuit, which was filed by the Land Stewardship Project and Food & Water Watch against the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for their approval of Riverview’s permitting for this project.
“This decision will impact a lot of people in the community,” Sheets said. “It’s a big decision, and I really hope that you can add in some extra scrutiny that people have been looking for.”
After the public was given a chance to speak, Brady Janzen, a partner with Riverview LLP and spokesperson for the West River project, was asked to respond to concerns. One question he wanted to speak to was the regular question of whether there is enough water to fulfill the needs of a dairy of this size.
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“The answer to that is, we believe yes,” Janzen said.
Janzen responded that the company has been approved for 452 million gallons of water annually from an existing well site. Riverview has submitted an amended application for half that amount, 256 million gallons. He said they are also planning to lower it down an additional 90 million gallons to 136 million gallons, which is about 30% of the original amount. They would do that through rainwater harvesting.
“So we think these numbers are conservative,” Janzen said.
Janzen said the recharge for this aquifer is the Pomme de Terre River, which has a flow of 80 billion gallons per year. He said the amount that Riverview is requesting to use is a fraction of 1% of that annual flow.
Commissioner Bob Kopitzke questioned the accuracy of the aquifer data, saying it was a 20-year-old assessment, last taken in 2007. He asked whether it remained accurate considering the amount of irrigation that has been added and is also pulling from this resource.
Janzen remained confident in what the data was showing, including that of a more recent 2025 assessment, and said those are all factors being considered by the Minnesota DNR.
Janzen also tackled the “what if” question, as in, what if the water resource dries up? His response was that any other water users other than domestic water users would see their water use curtailed in times of low water, as required by law in Minnesota.
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And if Riverview were curtailed, he said they plan to have roughly 157 million gallons, nearly a year’s supply, of water stored up for such an emergency.
West River background
This approval has been one among several that the company needs in order to move ahead with the project. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency approved an EAW on the project and determined that a more rigorous Environmental Impact Statement would not be necessary. They also approved a feedlot permit for the project expansion in June.
In response, Land Stewardship Project and Food & Water Watch in August filed a lawsuit against the MPCA, asking a court of appeals to review the MPCA’s decision to not issue an EIS.
The remaining permit still needs to come from the Minnesota DNR for water usage.
Following board approval, Janzen spoke for Riverview in saying that he appreciated the public’s interest in input into this decision and for the local approval.
“We’re also thankful for the farmers, neighbors and community members who took the time to learn about the project and share their perspectives, at our open houses, in writing, and at public meetings,” Janzen said in an emailed response. “Stevens County has been home to Riverview and our farms since 1939, and the support we’ve received from the community means a great deal to us.”
The expansion is expected to create 40 new employment opportunities in Stevens County, provide another market for crops grown by neighboring farmers, and return nutrients to local cropland, he added.
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Also following the approval, Land Stewardship Project released a statement frustrated about the decision.
“By giving the green light to what will be the largest concentrated animal feeding operation in Minnesota history, Stevens County officials have cast a vote for a type of livestock production that threatens water quality, puts small and medium-sized farmers out of business and empties rural Main Streets,” said the Land Stewardship Project in a news release.
Having pushed back against the project since its start, they mentioned one more way for the public to voice concerns was through a comment period that remains open with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture through Oct. 1. The department is accepting input on the socioeconomic impacts of large-scale dairies in Minnesota. That input will later be shared with the Minnesota Legislature in during the 2027 session.
The vote
When the commissioners came to their time to vote, it was revealed that the Land Stewardship Project had sent a letter suggesting that two of the commissioners should recuse themselves from the vote due to conflict of interest.
Commissioner Ron Staples abstained from voting. Commissioner Patricia Lesmeister Nelson was asked to recuse herself due to her relationship with people who work for Riverview. She said that relationship had no effect on her ability to provide an unbiased vote, and she noted that these relationships are difficult to avoid in a small, closely knit community. She voted yes.
Wohlers voted to pass the CUP with conditions as recommended. Commissioner Bob Kopitzke was the only commissioner to vote no. He represents a large portion of the city of Morris while the other four districts mostly cover the county’s more rural areas. Kopitzke said he voted that way because it’s what his constituents wanted, despite his having strong relationships with Riverview staff.