All Projects

120 Results for
Recipient
Soil and Water Conservation Districts
2016 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$11,000,000
Fund Source

Provides grants to Soil and Water Conservation Districts that focuses on increasing capacity to address four resource concern areasSoil Erosion, Riparian Zone Management, Water Storage and Treatment, and Excess Nutrients.

Statewide
Recipient
Soil and Water Conservation Districts
2016 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,500,000
Fund Source

Governor Mark Dayton's landmark buffer initiative was signed into law in 2015. The law establishes new perennial vegetation buffers of up to 50 feet along rivers, streams, and ditches that will help filter out phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment. The new law provides flexibility and financial support for landowners to install and maintain buffers. For grants to Soil and Water Conservation Districts to ensure compliance with riparian buffer or alternate practice requirements for state required buffers and soil erosion law.

Statewide
Recipient
Minnesota Board of Water & Soil Resources
2016 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$84,000
Fund Source

This program annually evaluates a sample of up to ten Clean Water Fund restoration projects, provides a report on the evaluations in accordance with state law and delivers communications on project outcomes and lessons learned in restoration practice.

Statewide
Recipient
Conservation Corps MN & IA
2016 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$500,000
Fund Source

A legislative directive provides Clean Water Funds to be contracted for services with the Conservation Corps of Minnesota. Through these grants, the Corps funds crew labor to eligible local governments through an application process hosted by the Conservation Corps.

Statewide
Recipient
Conservation Corps MN & IA
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$500,000
2018 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$500,000
Fund Source

The Board of Water and Soil Resources is required to contract with the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa (formerly Minnesota Conservation Corps), or CCMI, for installation of conservation practices benefitting water quality for at least $500,000 in each year of the 2010-11 biennium. The Board approved reserving the following funds in each year of the biennium to comply with this appropriation:$200,000 from the Runoff Reduction Grants, $200,000 from the Clean Water Assistance Grants, $100,000 from the Shoreland Improvement Grants.

Statewide
Recipient
Soil and Water Conservation Districts
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$11,000,000
Fund Source

Provides grants to Soil and Water Conservation Districts that focuses on increasing capacity to address four resource concern areas: Soil Erosion, Riparian Zone Management, Water Storage and Treatment, and Excess Nutrients.

Statewide
Recipient
Farmers, Rural Landowners, and Agricultural Supply Businesses
2025 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$4,799,000
2024 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$4,799,000
2023 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$75,000
2022 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$75,000
2021 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$75,000
2020 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$75,000
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$75,000
2018 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$75,000
2017 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$75,000
2016 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$75,000
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$200,000
2014 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$200,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$4,500,000
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$4,500,000
2011 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,500,000
2010 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,000,000
Fund Source

The AgBMP Loan Program provides needed funding for local implementation of clean water practices at an extremely low cost, is unique in its structure, and is not duplicated by any other source of funding. The AgBMP loan program provides 3% loans through local lenders to farmers, rural landowners, and agriculture supply businesses. Funds are used for proven practices that prevent non-point source water pollution or solve existing water quality problems.

Statewide
Recipient
Widseth Smtih Nolting
2014 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$116,042
Fund Source

Widseth Smith Nolting (WSN) will evaluate and recommend to MPCA groundwater monitoring staff prospective sites/locations for the installation of groundwater monitoring wells to evaluate contaminant/pollutant concentrations from various sources. Peer will oversee the installation of monitoring wells by retaining a state drilling contractor or preparing bid documents to retain well driller through the Department of Administration. Superfund staff will assist in the project by providing oversight of contractual requirements and provide technical assistance as needed.

Statewide
Recipient
U of MN
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,800,000
Fund Source

Aquatic invasive species pose critical ecological and economic challenges for the entire state and beyond. They can cause irreparable harm to fisheries and aquatic habitat as well as damage to infrastructure. The problems posed by aquatic invasive species continue to grow as existing infestations expand and new exotic species arrive, most of which are poorly understood. New ideas and approaches are needed to develop real solutions.

Statewide
2025 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,000,000
2024 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,000,000
2023 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,850,000
2022 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,850,000
2021 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,075,000
2020 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,075,000
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,375,000
2018 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,375,000
2017 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,375,000
2016 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,375,000
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,375,000
2014 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,375,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,500,000
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,500,000
2011 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$525,000
2010 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$600,000
Fund Source

The DNR is working with local communities and an interagency team to define, prioritize, and establish groundwater management areas in Minnesota. Groundwater management areas will have increased data collection and monitoring that allow the state and local communities to understand water supplies, uses, limitations, and threats to natural resources that depend on groundwater. This information will support detailed aquifer protection plans that ensure equitable and sustainable groundwater and drinking water use for the future.

Statewide
Recipient
Tetra Tech
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$109,878
Fund Source

The goal of this project is to develop statewide biological criteria for managing the state’s water resources, in keeping with the federal Clean Water Act. The MPCA is using the Biological Condition Gradient (BCG) for this development. The BCG is a conceptual model that describes changes in aquatic ecosystems on a gradient of increasing anthropogenic stress.

Statewide
2025 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$25,000
2024 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$25,000
2023 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$25,000
2022 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$25,000
2021 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$100,000
2020 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$100,000
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$100,000
2018 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$100,000
2017 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$325,000
2016 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$325,000
Fund Source

Governor Mark Dayton's landmark buffer initiative was signed into law in 2015. The law establishes new perennial vegetation buffers of up to 50 feet along rivers, streams, and ditches that will help filter out phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment. The new law provides flexibility and financial support for landowners to install and maintain buffers. The DNR's role in Minnesota's new buffer law is to produce a statewide map of public waters and public ditches that require permanent vegetation buffers. The DNR is scheduled to produce these maps by July 2016.

Statewide
Recipient
Barr Engineering Company
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$94,999
2021 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$43,785
Fund Source

This project will create a new chloride source assessment model and generate the best management practice (BMP) information and needed water softening data for the Smart Salting Assessment tool, which will allow Minnesota communities to fully evaluate their specific sources and magnitude of chloride and develop a community specific chloride reduction plan.

Statewide
Recipient
Funding is awarded to projects selected by the evaluation committee. This is a competitive process.
2022 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$205,436
2021 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$259,586
2020 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$609,694
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$622,885
2018 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$894,991
2017 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$993,255
2016 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,135,603
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$959,552
2014 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$691,070
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,050,000
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,050,000
Fund Source

The  goals of the program are to evaluate the effectiveness of agricultural conservation practices, identify underlying processes that affect water quality, and develop technologies to target critical areas of the landscape. Funded projects provide current and accurate scientific data on the environmental impacts of agricultural practices and help to develop or revise agricultural practices that reduce environmental impacts while maintaining farm profitability.

Statewide
Recipient
Tetra Tech
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$53,190
Fund Source

Tetra Tech will gather information for eventual incorporation into the Minnesota Stormwater Manual. The Stormwater Manual is used by stormwater practitioners to make decisions related to stormwater management, such as selecting appropriate Best Management Practices, meeting stormwater regulatory requirements, and determining pollutant and stormwater volume reductions associated with implementation of different stormwater management practices. The goal is to update existing information and provide new information on active construction site erosion prevention and sediment control.

Statewide
Recipient
University of Minnesota Office of Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA)
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$145,000
2014 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$145,000
Fund Source

The goal of this project is to develop a core team of wastewater professionals and academics engaged in understanding and solving wastewater-related problems in Minnesota, with national relevance. The team will promote the use of new technology, designs and practices to address existing and emerging wastewater treatement challenges, including the treatement of wastewater for reuse and the emergence of new and unregulated contaminants.

Statewide
Recipient
Cook County SWCD
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,570
Fund Source

In conjunction with the Board of Soil and Water Resources (BWSR), the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is developing a process for public participation that can be used across Minnesota Water Quality Framework programs such as 1 Watershed, 1 Plan, Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies (WRAPS), Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) studies, and others. This contract will provide support for a northern Minnesota Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) to assist in shaping the statewide guidance.

Statewide
Recipient
Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$303,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$365,000
2014 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$390,000
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$390,000
Fund Source

The County Well Index (CWI) contains well and boring records wells within Minnesota; over 400,000 records. It is the principal source of well construction information and geologic interpretations of well records and also contains soil boring records, mineral exploration test hole records, and scientific/research test hole records.

Statewide
Recipient
Board of Water and Soil Resources
2014 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,574,731
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,909,980
2016 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,753,907
2017 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,429,331
2018 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,696,395
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,599,600
2020 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,973,000
2021 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$3,045,774
2022 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$3,009,907
2023 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,650,000
2024 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,027,047
Fund Source

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) offers grants to counties for Subsurface Sewage Treatment System (SSTS) program administration and special projects to improve SSTS compliance rates, and assistance for low-income homeowners with needed SSTS upgrades. The MPCA will determine grant allocations based on applications review; funds will flow to counties through the Board of Water and Soil Resources' Natural Resources Block Grants.

Statewide
2025 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$100,000
2024 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$100,000
2021 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$150,000
2020 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$150,000
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$125,000
2018 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$125,000
2017 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$250,000
2016 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$250,000
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$615,000
2014 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$615,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$0
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$0
2011 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$0
2010 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,000,000
Fund Source

The DNR works with the Minnesota Geological Survey (MGS) to convey valuable geologic and groundwater information and interpretations to government units at all levels, but particularly to local governments, private organizations and citizens. The MGS focuses on geology (Part A reports) and DNR focuses on groundwater (Part B reports). These provide useful information for projects completed by community planners, industry, agriculture, citizens and state agencies related to groundwater.

Statewide
Recipient
St. Croix Watershed Research Station (Science Museum of MN)
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$425,000
Fund Source

This project will improve our understanding of the sources of sediment (turbidity), and the processes which deliver sediment to river channels. This project will address a suite of emerging questions regarding contributions and causes of non-field sediment, thereby providing watershed managers with a better understanding of how to manage these sediment sources.

Statewide
Recipient
Limno Tech, Inc.
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$33,325
Fund Source

This project will lead to environmental improvements and preservation in the state’s watersheds as it will provide a framework that will streamline the development of Watershed Reports across the state at a common scale and schedule. Additionally, MPCA staff, local partners and citizen volunteers will be able to integrate the results of these studies into watershed strategies and implementation plans.

Statewide
Recipient
Stantec Consulting Services, Inc.
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$33,396
Fund Source

This project will provide a shared working definition and principles for civic engagement, that enable state agencies to more effectively, strategically and collaboratively manage the social dimension of Minnesota’s water resource management efforts . The agencies included in the project are BWSR, MDNR, MDA, MDH and MPCA. The consultant and project participants will develop recommendations that will better enable policy and decision makers, CWF teams, the Clean Water Council and others to make informed decisions surrounding civic engagement efforts.

Statewide
Recipient
University of Minnesota
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,500
Fund Source

This project provides funding for the 2013 Watershed Research Symposium. The outcome will be a set of research foci for Clean Water Fund projects developed by the scientific community.

Statewide
2014 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$85,000
Fund Source

This is a legislatively mandated project. In order to receive $1,075,000 in water recreation account appropriations for enhancing public water access facilities in FY 2014 and FY 2015 respectively, the commissioner must develop design standards and best management practices specifically for improving water quality by avoiding shoreline erosion and runoff for water accesses.

Statewide
Recipient
US Geological Survey
2016 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$75,000
2017 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$75,000
Fund Source

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has identified streamflow alteration as a key stressor on aquatic life, but the characteristics of streamflow alteration acting as stressors have not been identified in the MPCA Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) process. Without indices that characterize streamflow alteration, the MPCA cannot quantitatively associate metrics of aquatic life condition to streamflow alteration. The lack of quantifiable indices limits the ability of the MPCA to assess environmental streamflow needs for streams and rivers throughout Minnesota.

Statewide
Recipient
Minnesota Department of Health
2022 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,200,000
2021 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,200,000
2020 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,700,000
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,100,000
2018 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,100,000
2017 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,100,000
2016 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,100,000
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,150,000
2014 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,150,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,020,000
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,020,000
2011 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$744,717
2010 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$250,291
Fund Source

The Drinking Water Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC) program identifies environmental contaminants for which current health-based standards currently do not exist or need to be updated, investigate the potential for human exposure to these chemicals, and develop guidance values for drinking water. Contaminants evaluated by CEC staff include contaminants that have been released or detected in Minnesota waters (surface water and groundwater) or that have the potential to migrate to or be detected in Minnesota waters.

Statewide
Recipient
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$55,157
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$380,930
2014 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$18,060
Fund Source

This project will determine the magnitude and frequency of contamination from endocrine active compounds (EAC's) and other contaminants of emerging concern in shallow groundwater in non-agricultural areas of Minnesota. EACs and other contaminants of emerging concern in this study include compounds typically found in waste water, including, pharmaceutical compounds, antibiotics, and hormones. This project supports the third phase, including laboratory analysis of samples for an additional 80 wells to be sampled by MPCA staff.

Statewide
Recipient
RESPEC
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$99,980
Fund Source

The primary goal of this project is to enhance the current version of the Expert System for Calibration of HSPF (HSPEXP+) so that it can be more efficiently used for QA/QC of hydrology and water quality models developed using Hydrological Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) and develop input files for two receiving waterbody models.

Statewide
Recipient
University of Minnesota: James Ford Bell Museum of Natural History
2014 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$55,000
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$20,000
2016 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$27,493
2018 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$24,307
2022 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$45,572
2023 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$9,900
2024 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$900
Fund Source

The Bell Museum will sort and identify all fish samples collected by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's (MPCA) North and South Biological Monitoring Units. The Bell Museum of Natural History (Bell Museum) will provide professional fish Identification expertise to the MPCA fish voucher program, while also helping the Bell Museum annually update their fish distribution map for the State of Minnesota. As the MPCA samples and vouchers species of significance, the Bell Museum shall catalog these species into their official fish collection.

Statewide
2025 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$545,000
2024 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$455,000
2023 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$175,000
2022 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$175,000
2021 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$135,000
2020 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$135,000
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$135,000
2018 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$135,000
2017 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$135,000
2016 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$135,000
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$135,000
2014 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$135,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$130,000
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$130,000
2011 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$132,000
2010 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$130,000
Fund Source

The DNR works with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Department of Health to determine the level of contamination from mercury and other harmful chemicals in fish from Minnesota's lakes and rivers and to track the success of efforts to reduce mercury pollution. Clean Water Legacy funding is being used to significantly increase (more than double) the number of lakes and rivers that are assessed for mercury contamination on an annual basis. Fish are collected during DNR fishery surveys, processed for laboratory testing, and analyzed for contaminants.

Statewide
Recipient
Minnesota Department of Health
2022 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$250,000
2021 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$250,000
2020 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$250,000
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$250,000
Fund Source

This is a project to to proactively address future threats to safe drinking water. This project will incorporate findings and recommendations from the Future of Drinking Water report to assess, prioritize, and manage drinking water risks.  Through this project, a voluntary statewide plan for protecting drinking water will be developed.  Additional outcomes from this project include public health policies and an action plan.

Statewide
Recipient
United States Geological Survey
2014 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$27,481
Fund Source

Groundwater sample collection and analysis will be conducted for contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) at large subsurface treatment systems (LSTS) and rapid infiltration basins (RIB), using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methodology. Results from the ELISA analysis will be reported to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and used to conduct follow-up investigations at a select number of these sites.

Statewide
Recipient
Tetra Tech
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$109,981
Fund Source

The goal of this project is to develop a tool to generate meteorological time-series input data for Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) models based on publicly available gridded meteorological products.

Statewide
Recipient
RESPEC
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$96,998
Fund Source

The primary goal of this project is to train the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency staff in Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) model calibration of nutrients, oxygen demand, and algal processes and in MATLAB script development for model output processing and report generation. Additionally, a pilot application process will be developed to link HSPF applications to Water quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP) to take advantage of the advanced sediment oxygen demand processes.

Statewide
Recipient
University of Waterloo
2017 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$4,000
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,982
Fund Source

The lab will analyze stable isotopes oxygen-18 and deuterium in water samples collected in streams, lakes, wetlands, groundwater, and point sources. This data can identify primary flow sources under varying flow conditions (low to very high flows). Identifying sources can help identify pollutant sources or locate areas that are in need of protection. For example, you may want to protect an area that contributes cold groundwater to a coldwater fishery. Or it could link a water chemistry impairment to a specific source.

Statewide
Recipient
AQUA TERRA Consultants
2014 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$43,000
Fund Source
This project will address the numerous recommendations included in the original Guidance Document to provide an updated and improved Guidance Document. This improved guidance will help to ensure consistency and validity of future HSPF model applications within the State as part of the One Water Program.
Statewide
Recipient
RESPEC
2014 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$99,970
Fund Source

The goal of this project is to develop a watershed-scale decision support tool, Scenario Application Manager (SAM), to facilitate prioritization and placement of best management practices (BMPs) needed to achieve the necessary reductions identified by various watershed management programs in Minnesota. SAM consists of a Geographic Information System (GIS) for site selection, and Hydrological Simulation Program – Fortran (HSPF) model application to simulate the transport of pollutants.

Statewide
Recipient
AQUA TERRA Consultants
2014 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$50,000
Fund Source
Development of Target NPS loading rates along with a pollutant source allocation tool for assessing and quantifying source allocations for impaired stream reaches for use in the TMDL development.
Statewide
Recipient
University of South Carolina
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$95,029
2021 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$52,730
Fund Source

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has been monitoring for contaminants of emerging concern in Minnesota's surface water since 2007. These contaminants include a wide variety of pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and other chemicals that can harm fish and wildlife and human health. One group of these chemicals, disinfection by-products, are formed when water is treated with chlorine. Some of these chemicals are cancer-causing and highly toxic.

Statewide