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.

Protection

Protecting the quality of water resources that are not impaired is a key goal of the DNR. When lakeshore and stream banks (i.e., riparian areas) are developed, and vegetation is removed, these areas often become vulnerable to erosion. Eroded riparian areas load soil into lakes and streams, which diminishes water quality. In addition, the plants that recolonize developed shorelines often do not offer the same habitat value to fish or wildlife species that use the shoreland zone as the native vegetation that was removed. The DNR has programs that focus on protecting high quality lakes and stream banks, on restoring degraded riparian area habitats, and providing planning assistance to citizens.

Shoreland zoning standards

The rules that regulate how shoreland in Minnesota is developed represent a critical element for effective water quality protection. These regulations are a cooperative effort between the DNR (Division of Waters) and local units of government. The DNR adopts shoreland rules that set the minimum standards for how lands along lakes and rivers are developed and provides technical assistance to guide their implementation. The adoption of shoreland standards into local ordinances and their implementation is the responsibility of local governments (counties, cities and towns) through their zoning authority. Many counties, cities and towns have chosen to implement standards that exceed the statewide minimum standards.

Riparian land acquisition

The DNR purchases high quality riparian lands with good cover of existing native vegetation and protects them from development. These lands are open to the public as Aquatic Management Areas. Aquatic Management Areas are established to protect, develop, and manage lakes, rivers, streams, and adjacent wetlands and lands that are critical for fish and other aquatic life, for water quality, and for their intrinsic biological value, public fishing, or other compatible outdoor recreational uses.

For more information on Aquatic Management Areas, contact:
Mike Halverson
Phone: (651) 259-5209
E-Mail: Mike.Halverson@state.mn.us
500 Lafayette Road N
St. Paul, MN 55155

Forest Stewardship grants for riparian lands

Staff from the Forest Stewardship Program work with private citizens and local units of government to award grants for the purpose of restoring forested areas (including forested riparian land) or improving their long-term management. The program also provides technical advice, as well as planning and implementation grants.