Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources

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• Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources
• Local Water Management Challenge Grants
• LCCMR
• October 12, 2006

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Local Water Protection and Management

• Purpose
• To develop and carry out water management plans
  at the county and watershed levels that protect
  and enhance surface water, groundwater and
  related land resources given local conditions,
  priorities and available resources.

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Local Water Protection and Management

• History
• 1982 Metropolitan Surface Water Management Act
  passed (Minn. Stat. 103B.201)
• 46 watersheds in the 7 county metro area
• 1985 Comprehensive Local Water Management Act
  passed (Minn. Stat. 103B. 301)
• all 80 counties outside of metro area
• 1987 LCMR funds pilot project for 52 counties to
  write first plan

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Local Water Protection and Management

• History (continued)
• 1989 Permanent funding via the Groundwater Act
• 1990 Metropolitan Groundwater Planning Act
  passed (Minn. Stat. 103B.201)
• all 7 metro counties
• 2003 Amendments to 103B. 301 that repealed the
  rules and established the priority concerns
  process

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Local Water Protection and Management

• Key Concepts
• Make local water management a high priority
• Build local expertise and management capacity
• Identify problems and prevent them
• Engage citizens and community leaders
• Lead responsibility is at the local level
• Fosters state and local partnerships

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Local Water Protection and Management

• Example
• The Chisago County Plan includes
• 4 Goals
• 18 Objectives
• 45 Tasks

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Local Water Protection and Management

• Example Chisago County Plan
• Goal 1. Ground and surface water is safe and
  available for human consumption, recreational use
  and wildlife.
• Objective A. Phosphorus loading from Chisago
  County into the St. Croix River is reduced by 20
  by 2020
• Task 1. Jointly evaluate and establish water
  quality standards related to eutrophication which
  are applicable to Lake St. Croix by the end of
  2009.

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Local Water Protection and Management

• Funding
• BWSR annually allocates Local Water Management
  funds to counties as part of the Natural
  Resources Block Grant
• LCMR has been funding Local Water Management
  Challenge Grants since FY2000-01

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Local Water Protection and Management

• BWSR Funds to Local Governments
• Annually provided to counties, who can send all
  or some to their SWCD
• Counties must have a current water plan
• Grants 1.5 million which is matched via a
  mandatory minimum property tax levy
• Grants provide base funding for local water
  management capacity

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Local Water Management Challenge Grants

• LCMR Funding to BWSR
• The purpose is to accelerate local water
  management by funding high priority projects
  identified in local water plans. 
• Counties, watershed districts, or watershed
  management organizations are eligible (SWCDs can
  apply if delegated by county).
• Grants are competitive
• A 11 cash and/or in-kind match is required

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Local Water Management Challenge Grants

• LCMR Funding to BWSR (continued)
• Eligible project types include Land and water
  treatment planning and ordinances monitoring
  and data collection inventory and mapping
  education and information.
• The local water plan must be current to be
  eligible
• FY 2006-07 Funding 1,000,000 (LCMR).

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Local Water Management Challenge Grants
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Local Water Management Challenge Grants

• FY2006-07 Projects
• 78 applications
• 2,547,412 in Requested Dollars
• 3,754,830 in Local Match
• 35 applications were funded
• 1,000,000 in LCMR funds
• 1,699,369 in Local Match

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Local Water Management Challenge Grants

• FY2006-07 Projects
• The funded projects are of the following types
• 11 Land and water treatment
• 5 Planning and ordinances
• 11 Inventories and mapping
• 4 Education and information
• 4 Monitoring and data collection

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Local Water Management Challenge Grants

• Project Example
• Land and Water Treatment
• Capital Region Watershed District - 75,000
• This project will implement a storm water BMP
  to reduce phosphorous loading to an impaired
  water (Como Lake). This project is a result of a
  multi year planning effort by five local units
  of government to resolve an intercommunity
  drainage problem.

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Local Water Management Challenge Grants

• Project Example
• Inventories and Mapping
• Lincoln County - 25,000
• A GIS-based inventory of the public drainage
  system will be developed and used to assess
  management decisions for the improvement of
  water quality/quantity, targeting areas needing
  watershed and ditch bank protection and
  encourage landowner participation

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Local Water Management Challenge Grants

• Project Example
• Monitoring and Data Collection
• Itasca SWCD - 24,200
• Effective lake management requires long-term
  environmental data. Diatom paleolimnology will
  be gathered to analyze and interpret the
  historical background and baselines of Itasca
  County lakes that will be applicable to lakes in
  the Northern Lakes and Forests Ecoregion.

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Local Water Management Challenge Grants

• Reporting
• Grantees are required to report via the eLINK on
  line system
• Reporting includes financial and measurable
  results data

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Local Water Management Challenge Grants

• Questions ?
• Contact Information
• Dave Weirens
• Land and Water Section Manager
• Board of Water and Soil Resources
• David.weirens_at_bwsr.state.mn.us
• 651-297-3432