Metropolitan Urban Service Areas (MUSA) Composite

The MUSA Composite dataset depicts current and future boundaries of the Urban Service Areas (sewer service areas) based on communities' comprehensive plans for the seven-county metropolitan area of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The dataset does not depict the precise location of current urban services (Sewer service). In other words, the Urban Service Areas designate areas that might be serviced, it does not represent the urban areas that are serviced. The depiction of Urban Service Areas provides a framework in which known urban development and anticipated future development can exist with adequate sewer capacity at efficient service levels. Seven other datasets are derived from these data: MUSA_2020, MUSA_2020_Outline, MUSA_2030, MUSA_2030_Outline, MUSA_2040, MUSA_2040_Outline, MUSA Undesignated_Reserve (see below). NOTE: As of August 2020, the derived dataset MUSA_Undesignated is no longer being used as a desingation but remain in the Attributes for an unknown period of time for historical comparison purposes but there will no longer be a designated layer as part of any download.<br/><br/>Each community (city or township) in the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area is required to complete a comprehensive plan for approval by the Metropolitan Council per the Metropolitan Land Planning Act of 1995 (Minn. Stat 473.864, Subd 2 and 473.175, Subd 1). The comprehensive plan must include a depiction of current and future boundaries of the Urban Service Areas (i.e., 2030, 2040, Post-2040).<br/><br/>As of March 2011, a new designation area was created specifically to address the agreed upon development plan for southeastern Scott County between the county, the city of Elko New Market and the town of New Market : 'Undesignated MUSA Reserve.' This is an area where an agreed upon acreage of urban sewer service can be added to the current MUSA by 2030 through their 2030 Comprehensive Plan. The distinction between 'Undesignated MUSA' and 'Undesignated MUSA Reserve' is that 'Undesignated MUSA' is an area within a municipal boundary defined by that municipality's comprehensive plan, whereas, 'Undesignated MUSA Reserve' is an area beyond the current municipal boundary (i.e., surrounding township) that is designated in a joint agreement by the city, town, and county to accommodate future municipal growth. Urban sewer services will not be provided to these areas until they have been annexed by the municipality (i.e., Elko New Market).<br/><br/>Although the Metropolitan Council provides the majority of the urban sewer service in the seven-county metropolitan area, several smaller, free-standing rural communities in the region (primarily in Carver and Scott Counties), private systems, and independent nations (Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community) provide their own urban services. Where information on their urban service areas are available, it is included in this dataset.<br/><br/>Although the information included in this dataset is derived from the communities' 2008 and 2018 comprehensive plans, subsequent plan amendments are intended to be current within 4 months, for exact MUSA information, please contact the community.<br/><br/>When referring to CURRENT MUSA extent, this includes areas up to 2025 MUSA. For communities who have had their 2040 Comprehensive Plan adopted (Benchmark 2040), this includes areas up to 2030 MUSA.<br/><br/>These data were previously incorporated in the Comprehensive Plan Composite dataset.<br/>