CORRECTION: BWSR Accepting Applications for Water Storage Grants
CORRECTION: A previous version of this release incorrectly stated the closing date of this RFP. The RFP closes at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 10.
Contact: Mary Juhl, 612-358-5733
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) is now accepting applications for water storage grants to help make landscapes more resilient to severe weather events. Eligible applicants include soil and water conservation districts, watershed districts, municipalities, counties, Tribal Governments and joint powers organizations.
The state is experiencing more frequent and intense rainfall events, resulting in negative impacts to agriculture and infrastructure, significant erosion along riverbanks, and declining water quality. In response, BWSR established the Water Quality and Storage Program, which supports storage practices statewide, with priority given to projects located in the Minnesota River and the Lower Mississippi River basins.
“These grants will target areas of the state with topography and infrastructure that make flooding and erosion pressing concerns,” said BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke. “Investing in water storage projects will help prepare Minnesota communities to handle the effects of increasingly heavy storms.”
The Water Quality and Storage Program has approximately $3 million available in grant funding this year. Up to $500,000 is available to pay for modeling and conceptual design of storage practices. The remaining $2.5 million is available for final design and construction of storage practices.
Applications will be accepted through 4:30 p.m. on April 10, 2025. Applications must be submitted through eLINK, BWSR’s grants management system. More information on how to apply can be found here.
This program is part of a suite of legislation passed in recent years to mitigate negative environmental impacts caused by climate change. Learn more about the state’s climate work by visiting climate.state.mn.us.