Clean Water Legacy Program

Mission: To meet current needs while ensuring a future in which Minnesota's waterways and watersheds remain an abundant source of clean water, provide enjoyable recreation, and support healthy aquatic ecosystems.

Surface Water Assessment Grants

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) announced has announced the availability of about $2.1 million in grant money for lake and stream monitoring projects. Eligible applicants may apply through a competitive application process from late September to early November.

The funding is part of the 2007 Clean Water Legacy funding, approved by the Legislature and Governor Pawlenty. In addition to the MPCA, the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) has funding for protection and restoration activities designed to improve surface water quality.

Eligible applicants for all funds available include counties, soil and water conservation districts, watershed districts and water management organizations. Nonprofits, Minnesota colleges and universities, and American Indian tribes are also eligible for the water quality monitoring, training and promotion funds.

To receive funds for protection and restoration activities, groups must be operating under a currently adopted, state-approved comprehensive water management plan, or executing an MPCA-approved Total Maximum Daily Load implementation plan. The TMDL implementation plan must be associated with a project that has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

For more information on funds available, visit the MPCA Web site or the BWSR Web site.