West River Dairy Expansion, Stevens County MN: What to Know

If you're looking at land near Morris in Stevens County, you need to understand this: the county just approved a permit letting an existing dairy grow to what multiple outlets call the largest CAFO in Minnesota history, and the fight over water permits and a lawsuit against the state is still unresolved.

This page covers what's specific to Stevens County. For the general explanation, see the national guide.

What was approved, and when

On September 1, 2026, the Stevens County Board of Commissioners voted 3-1, with one commissioner abstaining, to grant Riverview, LLP a conditional use permit expanding its existing West River Dairy facility near Morris from 7,855 to a maximum of 18,855 mature dairy cows -- 26,397 animal units concentrated at a single site. That vote followed an August 19, 2026 recommendation from the Stevens County Planning Commission, which attached conditions to its approval, and came after months of public comment and organized opposition. Multiple outlets, including the Star Tribune, MPR News, and Agweek, describe the completed facility as more than 60 times the size of an average Minnesota dairy (fewer than 280 cows in the state's 2025 federal census) and what will become the largest concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) or dairy in Minnesota history.

Why MPCA's environmental review decision matters

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, which regulates feedlot permits statewide, released both an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) and a draft feedlot permit for the expansion in February 2026, opening a 30-day public comment period that MPCA later extended to May 7, 2026 given the volume of public interest. Critically, MPCA determined the project did not require a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) -- the more rigorous review tier reserved for projects with potentially significant environmental effects. That decision is a central point of contention: opponents argue the EAW did not adequately address groundwater and surface-water impacts, and the Minnesota DNR itself flagged that the EAW did not consider impacts from the project's potential groundwater appropriation on the Pomme de Terre River, which the DNR is separately reviewing as part of a water-permit decision.

What's still outstanding: a DNR water permit and active litigation

The county-level conditional use permit is not the last regulatory step. As of this writing, Riverview still needs a Minnesota DNR water appropriation permit before the expansion can proceed -- the facility would draw on the Pomme de Terre River aquifer system (with an estimated 80 billion gallons of annual flow, of which Riverview's request represents a small fraction, according to project materials), and the DNR's review of that request remains open. Separately, the Land Stewardship Project and Food & Water Watch have filed a lawsuit against MPCA over its approval of Riverview's permitting for this project, challenging the adequacy of the environmental review. Neither the water permit nor the litigation had resolved as of early September 2026. A state legislative proposal (HF3940/SF4275) that would have imposed a moratorium on comparable large feedlot projects pending further study did not advance out of committee.

The scale of the manure storage and water-use expansion

Beyond the animal-unit count, the project's physical footprint is a major part of the local concern: reporting on the broader Riverview operation in this region has described plans that would more than double liquid manure storage capacity at the company's facilities, from roughly 102 million gallons to 250 million gallons. Separately, in March 2025, a different Riverview facility roughly an hour southeast of Morris reported a manure holding-tank spillage that was contained on-site -- an incident opponents have cited in arguing for stricter conditions on the West River Dairy expansion specifically. In Baker Township and neighboring townships, some local officials have discussed the idea of a moratorium on new CAFOs above 1,000 animal units, though this remains a local policy discussion rather than an adopted ordinance as of this writing.

What this means if you're buying land near Morris

If you're evaluating a parcel anywhere near Morris or the West River Dairy site, treat this as an active, unresolved situation rather than settled fact. Ask Stevens County Environmental Services/Planning & Zoning for the exact conditions attached to the September 1, 2026 conditional use permit (odor, manure management, monitoring requirements, and any distance-based conditions specific to this approval), and ask whether the DNR water appropriation permit has since been granted, denied, or remains pending -- that outcome could still affect the project's final scope. If the lawsuit against MPCA is still active, its result could also affect permit conditions or trigger additional environmental review. For land close to the facility, consider groundwater and well-capacity questions specifically: the DNR's stated concern is exactly about aquifer draw-down affecting the surrounding area, which is directly relevant to any private well nearby. This is not a page you should treat as final -- confirm current status with the county and state agencies named below before making a purchase decision that depends on this project's outcome.

The West River Dairy Mega-Dairy Expansion Near Morris, Minnesota

What was approved, and when

Why MPCA's environmental review decision matters

What's still outstanding: a DNR water permit and active litigation

The scale of the manure storage and water-use expansion

What this means if you're buying land near Morris

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