Minnesota

Buying Land in Winona County, Minnesota

Winona County, seat Winona, sits in the Mississippi River bluff country of the Driftless Area -- a landscape that shapes its zoning code and its groundwater in ways most Minnesota counties don't have to plan around. A dedicated bluff and steep-slope zoning section restricts building near the county's dramatic river bluffs, and karst bedrock riddled with documented sinkholes changes what's realistic for a well or septic system on many rural parcels. Both are worth understanding in detail before buying land here, and we've built dedicated pages for each.

Bluff and Steep-Slope Zoning: a Real Constraint Near the River

Case-by-case / verify locally

Winona County's Zoning Ordinance (Section 11.6) defines a bluff as any slope exceeding 25% that rises at least 25 feet above the ordinary high-water mark, and requires a 100-foot setback for structures and roadways from the top of a bluff. Near Highway 61 specifically -- within one mile of the highway's median -- that trigger extends to 300 feet, requiring a Conditional Use Permit for any proposed structure inside that expanded zone. Non-bluff slopes between 18% and 25% also require a CUP for any structure or driveway. If a parcel near the river or a coulee looks buildable on paper, confirm its actual slope and bluff-top distance with Planning & Environmental Services before assuming a home site is viable -- see our dedicated page on Winona County's bluff and steep-slope rules for the full detail.

Karst Bedrock: Real Constraints on Wells and Septic Siting

Case-by-case / verify locally

Winona County sits on karst bedrock in the Driftless Area, and a University of Minnesota study documented 535 sinkholes across the county -- a landscape where surface water and even septic effluent can reach the drinking-water aquifer in minutes rather than being filtered through soil. This affects both well siting (contamination risk, and reduced protective cover in wellhead protection areas with fractured or karst geology) and septic system siting (added vertical separation requirements, sometimes advanced Type II treatment). The county has run a Well Sealing Costshare Program since 1990, sealing more than 1,300 unused wells to reduce contamination pathways. See our dedicated Winona County well water page for what this means for a specific parcel.

One Office for Zoning, Septic, and Feedlots

Generally favorable

Winona County runs zoning, septic (SSTS) permitting, and the county feedlot program through its Planning & Environmental Services office, reachable at (507) 457-6520. For a rural parcel, this is generally the right first call to confirm zoning district, bluff/slope status, septic requirements, and feedlot proximity together rather than routing between departments.

Bluff country zoning: not a generic shoreland rule

Winona County's dramatic Mississippi River bluffs are not just scenery -- they're written into the zoning ordinance as their own regulatory category, separate from the standard shoreland overlay. Adopted in December 2010 and effective March 2011, Section 11.6 of the county's Zoning Ordinance defines a bluff as a slope exceeding 25% that rises at least 25 feet above the ordinary high-water mark, and requires a minimum 100-foot setback from the bluff top for both structures and roadways. A separate, more restrictive rule applies within one mile of the median of U.S. Highway 61 -- the corridor running along the river through much of the county -- where any structure proposed within 300 feet of a bluff top requires a Conditional Use Permit rather than being allowed outright. Non-bluff slopes in the 18-25% range also trigger a CUP requirement for any structure or driveway. Our dedicated page on Winona County's bluff and steep-slope setback rules covers the mapping process, CUP standards, and what to ask before buying bluff-adjacent land.

Karst geology: the county's groundwater is genuinely different

Much of Winona County sits atop the Prairie du Chien Group's Oneota and Shakopee dolomite formations, karst bedrock that dissolves under mildly acidic groundwater to form sinkholes, disappearing streams, and springs. A University of Minnesota study documented 535 sinkholes across the county, and state agency materials describe karst systems as bypassing the natural soil filtration that protects groundwater elsewhere -- surface contaminants and, in some conditions, septic effluent can reach the underlying aquifer within minutes rather than being filtered over months. This has real practical consequences: wellhead protection guidance generally treats infiltration as inappropriate in areas with karst conditions and less than 50 feet of unfractured geologic cover, and the county's SSTS program applies additional siting scrutiny in karst-prone areas. The county has also run a Well Sealing Costshare Program since 1990, using Clean Water Fund dollars to seal more than 1,300 unused wells that would otherwise be direct contamination pathways. Our dedicated Winona County well water page covers what a karst-aware buyer should actually check on a specific parcel.

Recreational character: real Driftless hunting and trout country

Winona County's bluff-and-coulee topography is genuinely well-regarded hunting and trout-fishing ground -- Minnesota DNR materials describe the Driftless region's whitetail habitat as among the best in the state, and the county's streams (Rush Creek among them) are part of a regional network of roughly 700 miles of public-access trout water known for brown, brook, and rainbow trout. This shapes the land market here: expect a real premium for parcels with good ridge or valley hunting access or frontage on a stocked trout stream, and confirm any public easement or DNR access agreement on streamside land before assuming exclusive use.

What we could and couldn't confirm

Winona County's bluff and steep-slope zoning definitions, setback figures, and CUP triggers are drawn from the county's own Zoning Ordinance excerpts as filed with the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board; confirm the current ordinance text directly with Planning & Environmental Services since bluff-related zoning provisions are periodically amended. The 535-sinkhole figure and karst bedrock description are drawn from a University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy dataset and DNR/MPCA groundwater materials and describe general county conditions rather than any specific parcel -- karst risk varies significantly by location within the county. The Well Sealing Costshare Program figures (1,300+ wells since 1990) are drawn from Minnesota's Legacy Amendment project page and reflect the most recent published total, which will have grown since. Hunting and trout-stream context is general Driftless-region description from Minnesota DNR sources, not a county-specific regulatory program.

Verify directly with: Winona County Planning & Environmental Services for zoning, bluff/slope, septic, and feedlot questions on a specific parcel; a licensed surveyor for an actual bluff-top or slope determination; and Minnesota DNR or MPCA for karst/wellhead-protection area mapping

Who to Call Before Buying Land in Winona County

We could not confirm a direct phone number for Winona County GIS/Mapping Applications distinct from the general county line; call Planning & Environmental Services or the Assessor's office for routing assistance. Bluff-top and slope determinations for a specific parcel typically require both Planning & Environmental Services (for the zoning/CUP process) and a licensed surveyor -- the county Surveyor's office can advise on the latter.

Planning & Zoning

Winona County Planning & Environmental Services

Zoning district confirmation, bluff/steep-slope status, land use permits, and Conditional Use Permit applications.

Phone: (507) 457-6520Official website →

Septic / Onsite Wastewater

Winona County Planning & Zoning -- Septics

SSTS permits and compliance, including additional siting requirements in karst-prone areas.

Phone: (507) 457-6520Official website →

Environmental Health

Winona County Feedlot Program

Feedlot registration, permitting, and compliance follow-up.

Phone: (507) 457-6520Official website →

GIS / Parcel Records

Winona County GIS / Mapping Applications

Parcel maps, slope/bluff mapping data, and GIS data requests.

Official website →

Assessor / Property Tax

Winona County Assessor

Assessed value, property tax questions, and valuation appeals for a specific parcel.

Phone: (507) 457-6300Official website →

Other

Winona County Surveyor

Boundary and survey questions, including bluff-top and slope determinations for a specific parcel.

Phone: (507) 454-4134Official website →

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Topics Specific to Winona County

Bluff & Steep-Slope Zoning Setbacks →Wells & Karst Groundwater in Winona County →

Sources

Winona County Zoning Ordinance and Amendments Excerpts — Minnesota Environmental Quality Board / Winona County (accessed 2026-09)
Winona County Zoning Ordinance and Amendments — Winona County, Minnesota (accessed 2026-09)
Bluff Protection Standards in Minnesota — Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (accessed 2026-09)
Sinkhole Distribution in Winona County, Minnesota — University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy (accessed 2026-09)
Groundwater Atlas of Winona County, Hydrogeologic Cross Sections — Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (accessed 2026-09)
Protecting water in karst regions — Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (accessed 2026-09)
Winona County Water Well Sealing — Minnesota's Legacy Amendment (accessed 2026-09)
Septic Systems — Winona County, Minnesota (accessed 2026-09)
Planning & Environmental Services — Winona County, Minnesota (accessed 2026-09)
Feedlot Program — Winona County, Minnesota (accessed 2026-09)
Assessor — Winona County, Minnesota (accessed 2026-09)
Winona County — Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (accessed 2026-09)

Last reviewed 2026-09