Contact: Mary Juhl; mary.juhl@state.mn.us, 612-358-5733
St. Paul, Minn. — Local governments can apply for multipurpose drainage management grants following the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) Board approving up to $2 million for these efforts at its October meeting. Up to $1 million is available in 2024, with up to an additional $1 million available in 2025.
Eligible applicants include counties, watershed districts, watershed management organizations, soil and water conservation districts and local government joint powers boards. Applicants must be working under a state-approved and locally adopted local water management plan, comprehensive watershed management plan or soil and water conservation district comprehensive plan.
"These grants will support multipurpose drainage management practices to reduce erosion and sedimentation, reduce peak flows and flooding and improve water quality, while also protecting drainage system efficiency and reducing the need for drainage system maintenance," BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke said.
Applications will be accepted starting Nov. 1. Local governments can apply for grants continually while funding remains available. BWSR staff will review applications during quarterly batching periods, which will occur on the first business day of the months of December 2023 and March, June, and September 2024. Local governments can learn more and apply for grants on BWSR’s website.
"The use of quarterly batching periods is a different approach to delivering these grants that we are trying so that the programming is more adaptable to the timelines drainage authorities are bound to as they do work on the systems they administer," Jaschke said.
Funding is provided by the Minnesota Clean Water Fund.
About the Minnesota Clean Water Fund: Minnesota voters approved the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment in 2008 to protect, enhance, and restore wetlands, prairies, forests, and fish, game, and wildlife habitat; to preserve arts and cultural heritage; to support parks and trails; and to protect, enhance, and restore lakes, rivers, streams, and groundwater. The Clean Water Fund receives 33 percent of the sales tax revenue generated by the Legacy Amendment. More information about the Clean Water Fund is available here.