Clean Water Fund
In 2008, people across Minnesota indicated their desire for projects to improve and maintain clean water by passing the legacy amendment. From the funding collected, 33% of the money goes to protect, enhance, and restore water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams as well as to protect ground water from degradation. Drinking water is specifically called out as 5% of all funding must be allocated to projects that protect and improve this resource.
As of Dec 2024 nearly $1.5 billion has been spent on over 3,300 projects to improve the water in Minnesota.
As of Dec 2024 nearly $1.5 billion has been spent on over 3,300 projects to improve the water in Minnesota.
Cascade lake Fountain (D6)
There are seven agencies which affect the water in Minnesota. These agencies have partnered to manage the activities under the Clean Water Fund. These agencies are:
* Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA)
* Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR)
* Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA)
* Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)
* Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR)
* Public Facilities Authority (PFA)
* Metropolitan Council (Met Council)
2012 - 2013 Interagency fact sheet funding graph
First Year of Funding
The first fiscal years the Legislature funded Clean Water projects apart from the partnership for projects in each individual agency. The first set of funding for the partnership was for the 2012 - 2013 fiscal year. Each of the 7 partnering agencies received funding for projects. These projects mostly fell into the categories of:
* Water quality monitoring and assessment
* Water quality study development
* Protection and restoration
* Drinking water protection
These projects included items such as ground water assessment, tool development, subsurface sewage treatment system assessments, technical assistance on proper implementation of best management practices, identification of water contamination sources, sealing of unused wells, County Well Index enhancements, phosphorus reduction grant programs, small community wastewater treatment programs, etc.
For more information regarding how these funds were spent, beginning with the 2012-2013 fiscal year, see the Interagency Fact Sheets at: www.legacy.mn.gov/clean-water-fund-interagency-fact-sheets
The first fiscal years the Legislature funded Clean Water projects apart from the partnership for projects in each individual agency. The first set of funding for the partnership was for the 2012 - 2013 fiscal year. Each of the 7 partnering agencies received funding for projects. These projects mostly fell into the categories of:
* Water quality monitoring and assessment
* Water quality study development
* Protection and restoration
* Drinking water protection
These projects included items such as ground water assessment, tool development, subsurface sewage treatment system assessments, technical assistance on proper implementation of best management practices, identification of water contamination sources, sealing of unused wells, County Well Index enhancements, phosphorus reduction grant programs, small community wastewater treatment programs, etc.
For more information regarding how these funds were spent, beginning with the 2012-2013 fiscal year, see the Interagency Fact Sheets at: www.legacy.mn.gov/clean-water-fund-interagency-fact-sheets
Clean Water Council
A Clean Water Council was established in 2009 to help oversee the legacy funding that is being spent for clean water projects. They create recommendations for the use of the funds and advise on the implementation of the funds. The Council also fosters coordination and cooperation among the State agencies, stakeholders, and partners.
There are 28 members of the council who represent many state agencies and stakeholders. Many council members are stakeholders appointed by the Governor. Others include House Members, Senate members, representatives from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Board of Soil and Water Resources, the Met Council, Minnesota Department of Health, and others. The must submit a biennial report to the legislature. Copies of these reports can be found at: www.lrl.mn.gov/edocs/edocs?oclcnumber=297185227.
In 2024 the council approved their Strategic Plan for future expenditures. The plan is centered around a series of Visions:
* Ground Water Vision: Groundwater is clean and available to all in Minnesota
* Drinking Water Source Protection Vision: Drinking water is safe for everyone, everywhere in Minnesota
* Surface Water Protection and Restoration Vision: Minnesotans will have fishable and swimmable waters throughout the state
* Vision: All Minnesotans value water and take actions to sustain and protect it.
Additional information regarding the council, and the opportunity to receive their newsletter, can be found at: www.pca.state.mn.us/air-water-land-climate/clean-water-council
A Clean Water Council was established in 2009 to help oversee the legacy funding that is being spent for clean water projects. They create recommendations for the use of the funds and advise on the implementation of the funds. The Council also fosters coordination and cooperation among the State agencies, stakeholders, and partners.
There are 28 members of the council who represent many state agencies and stakeholders. Many council members are stakeholders appointed by the Governor. Others include House Members, Senate members, representatives from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Board of Soil and Water Resources, the Met Council, Minnesota Department of Health, and others. The must submit a biennial report to the legislature. Copies of these reports can be found at: www.lrl.mn.gov/edocs/edocs?oclcnumber=297185227.
In 2024 the council approved their Strategic Plan for future expenditures. The plan is centered around a series of Visions:
* Ground Water Vision: Groundwater is clean and available to all in Minnesota
* Drinking Water Source Protection Vision: Drinking water is safe for everyone, everywhere in Minnesota
* Surface Water Protection and Restoration Vision: Minnesotans will have fishable and swimmable waters throughout the state
* Vision: All Minnesotans value water and take actions to sustain and protect it.
Additional information regarding the council, and the opportunity to receive their newsletter, can be found at: www.pca.state.mn.us/air-water-land-climate/clean-water-council
Collingwood Child on a Fishing Pier (D3)
General Accomplishments overview
According to the 2024 Clean Water Fund Performance Report (see www.legacy.leg.mn), between 2010 and 2023, Minnesota's Clean Water Fund:
Awarded more than 4,271 grants to protect and restore Minnesota’s water resources.
• Delisted 81 lakes and streams from Minnesota’s impaired waters list due to restoration activities.
• Led to many more lakes having improving water quality trends than declining trends and maintained the quality of unimpaired waters.
• Issued more than 2,253 loans to landowners to prevent nonpoint source water pollution or solve existing water quality problems.
• Secured more than 941 easements that will permanently protect approximately 31,164 acres along riparian corridors and within wellhead protection areas, of which 23,830 acres were supported by Clean Water Funds.
• Repaired 881 subsurface sewage treatment systems that posed an imminent threat to human health.
• Upgraded 52 municipal wastewater treatment facilities, which reduced phosphorus discharges by over 316,000 pounds per year.
• Developed plans for nearly 800 out of the approximately 970 community water systems in Minnesota to protect their drinking water sources and awarded approximately 1,300 grants supporting local source water
protection actions.
• Engaged 84,000 visitors in the We Are Water MN exhibit at 30 sites statewide since 2016. Of those surveyed in 2022, 88% indicated an increased awareness of threats to our water resources.
• Incentivized the replacement and assessment of water-using devices with nearly 15,000 water-efficient
alternatives through city and township programs, when implemented save an estimated 204 million gallons of water each year.
• Offered free nitrate testing to over 90,000 well owners in areas vulnerable to nitrate contamination and
32,000 of those well owners ultimately participated in the program.
• Certified nearly 1,000,000 acres of Minnesota farmland across more than 1,400 farms through the state’s Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program.
• Added pesticide water quality monitoring for approximately 140 additional pesticide compounds in vulnerable groundwater and surface water resources statewide.
• Cooperated with tribal governments on monitoring and assessment programs, strategy development for meeting water quality standards, detection of unregulated contaminants, and comprehensive planning.
• Supported statewide testing for PFAS in drinking water, which covered over 99% of Minnesotans that drink water from a community water system.
According to the 2024 Clean Water Fund Performance Report (see www.legacy.leg.mn), between 2010 and 2023, Minnesota's Clean Water Fund:
Awarded more than 4,271 grants to protect and restore Minnesota’s water resources.
• Delisted 81 lakes and streams from Minnesota’s impaired waters list due to restoration activities.
• Led to many more lakes having improving water quality trends than declining trends and maintained the quality of unimpaired waters.
• Issued more than 2,253 loans to landowners to prevent nonpoint source water pollution or solve existing water quality problems.
• Secured more than 941 easements that will permanently protect approximately 31,164 acres along riparian corridors and within wellhead protection areas, of which 23,830 acres were supported by Clean Water Funds.
• Repaired 881 subsurface sewage treatment systems that posed an imminent threat to human health.
• Upgraded 52 municipal wastewater treatment facilities, which reduced phosphorus discharges by over 316,000 pounds per year.
• Developed plans for nearly 800 out of the approximately 970 community water systems in Minnesota to protect their drinking water sources and awarded approximately 1,300 grants supporting local source water
protection actions.
• Engaged 84,000 visitors in the We Are Water MN exhibit at 30 sites statewide since 2016. Of those surveyed in 2022, 88% indicated an increased awareness of threats to our water resources.
• Incentivized the replacement and assessment of water-using devices with nearly 15,000 water-efficient
alternatives through city and township programs, when implemented save an estimated 204 million gallons of water each year.
• Offered free nitrate testing to over 90,000 well owners in areas vulnerable to nitrate contamination and
32,000 of those well owners ultimately participated in the program.
• Certified nearly 1,000,000 acres of Minnesota farmland across more than 1,400 farms through the state’s Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program.
• Added pesticide water quality monitoring for approximately 140 additional pesticide compounds in vulnerable groundwater and surface water resources statewide.
• Cooperated with tribal governments on monitoring and assessment programs, strategy development for meeting water quality standards, detection of unregulated contaminants, and comprehensive planning.
• Supported statewide testing for PFAS in drinking water, which covered over 99% of Minnesotans that drink water from a community water system.
A sediment control basin in Becker County
Success Stories
In the years since the Legacy Amendment was put into place, there have been numerous success stories. Below are a couple of samples of the positive work that has gone into improving our water in Minnesota. The full stories presented and other stories can be found on the Board of Water and Soil Resources Conservation Stories webpage.
Erosion Control Work to Improve the Wild Rice River
The Becker Soil & Water Conservation District worked with landowners to install more than 660 water and sediment control basins. These basins, also called sediment traps, create a temporary ponding area where water runoff from a construction site, farm field or other disturbed area, is slowed down. By slowing down the flow of the water, the trapped sediment particles are released and settle back down onto the land. This effectively releases filters the sediment out of the water preventing soil erosion as well as protecting the water ways. It also keeps the nutrients which are enclosed in the soil onto the farm fields, which in turn, can decrease the amount of fertilizers needed for the farm fields. One of the washouts healed was 6 feet deep. That area now supports farm crops.
Reducing the drainage from the farm fields helps improve the water quality of the Wild Rice River. This river feeds into the Red River, and ultimately into Lake Winnepeg. Curbing sediment and the phosphorus carried in the sediment has a positive impact on all of the streams. Previously, Lake Winnepeg has seen an increase of blue-green algae has at times covered more than 50% of the lake's surface. This project would not be possible without the Clean Water Fund. The District leverages the Clean Water Fund against federal funding to pay up to 90% of the cost of the improvements to the land. These improvements are costly for the land owner and without the assistance of the funding, would not be possible.
Photo credit: Ann Wessel, BWSR
In the years since the Legacy Amendment was put into place, there have been numerous success stories. Below are a couple of samples of the positive work that has gone into improving our water in Minnesota. The full stories presented and other stories can be found on the Board of Water and Soil Resources Conservation Stories webpage.
Erosion Control Work to Improve the Wild Rice River
The Becker Soil & Water Conservation District worked with landowners to install more than 660 water and sediment control basins. These basins, also called sediment traps, create a temporary ponding area where water runoff from a construction site, farm field or other disturbed area, is slowed down. By slowing down the flow of the water, the trapped sediment particles are released and settle back down onto the land. This effectively releases filters the sediment out of the water preventing soil erosion as well as protecting the water ways. It also keeps the nutrients which are enclosed in the soil onto the farm fields, which in turn, can decrease the amount of fertilizers needed for the farm fields. One of the washouts healed was 6 feet deep. That area now supports farm crops.
Reducing the drainage from the farm fields helps improve the water quality of the Wild Rice River. This river feeds into the Red River, and ultimately into Lake Winnepeg. Curbing sediment and the phosphorus carried in the sediment has a positive impact on all of the streams. Previously, Lake Winnepeg has seen an increase of blue-green algae has at times covered more than 50% of the lake's surface. This project would not be possible without the Clean Water Fund. The District leverages the Clean Water Fund against federal funding to pay up to 90% of the cost of the improvements to the land. These improvements are costly for the land owner and without the assistance of the funding, would not be possible.
Photo credit: Ann Wessel, BWSR
South branch of the Wild Rice River in Becker County
Lily Lake in Stillwater Delisted
For over 20 years partners worked to improve the water quality of Lily Lake in Stillwater. The partners include The Middle St. Croix Water Management Office, the Cilty of Stillwater, Sustainable Stillwater MN, and Friends of Lily Lake. Nearly $1 million was supplied from the Clean Water Funds to allow the lake to be removed from the Minnesota Impaired Waters list.
One of the solutions was to do targeted alum treatment. This treatment uses aluminum sulfate (alum) to be injected into the water from a boat. The alum reacts with the water to form aluminum hydroxide, also called floc. The floc settles to the bottom of the lake where it bonds to the excess phosphorus and forms a barrier. This prevents the algae from consuming the phosphorus and spreading throughout the lake. A regional urban water filtration system was installed for the water draining into the lake. Another innovative solution was to create a rain garden in a residential area that drains into the lake and which acts as a water purifier before the water drains into the lake.
The partners will continue to work on the clarity of the water of the lake. The lake had just thirty to fifty years ago been so clean that it was used to harvest ice blocks for restaurants in St Paul.
For over 20 years partners worked to improve the water quality of Lily Lake in Stillwater. The partners include The Middle St. Croix Water Management Office, the Cilty of Stillwater, Sustainable Stillwater MN, and Friends of Lily Lake. Nearly $1 million was supplied from the Clean Water Funds to allow the lake to be removed from the Minnesota Impaired Waters list.
One of the solutions was to do targeted alum treatment. This treatment uses aluminum sulfate (alum) to be injected into the water from a boat. The alum reacts with the water to form aluminum hydroxide, also called floc. The floc settles to the bottom of the lake where it bonds to the excess phosphorus and forms a barrier. This prevents the algae from consuming the phosphorus and spreading throughout the lake. A regional urban water filtration system was installed for the water draining into the lake. Another innovative solution was to create a rain garden in a residential area that drains into the lake and which acts as a water purifier before the water drains into the lake.
The partners will continue to work on the clarity of the water of the lake. The lake had just thirty to fifty years ago been so clean that it was used to harvest ice blocks for restaurants in St Paul.
Scenes from Lily Lake improvement project. Photo credit Ann Wessel, BWSR
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