Saint Paul, Minn. - Funding from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment is starting to flow to local water quality projects. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) uses a portion of the Clean Water Fund for grants to cities, counties, watershed groups and others to work on water quality problems. By also tapping into the Clean Water Partnership funding, as provided by the Minnesota Legislature, and State Revolving Loan funds, the MPCA recently announced $3.5 million in loans and $1.7 million in grants for water quality projects throughout the state.
"Minnesotans can be assured that their Clean Water Legacy funding is going to projects at the local level, where people have the best understanding of their water quality problems and how to address them. These projects show the diversity of challenges facing Minnesota's water resources, from protecting drinking water sources to fixing septic systems," said Rebecca Flood, MPCA assistant commissioner. "Please join me in congratulating these partners on receiving funding to make a difference at the local level to ensure clean water for future generations." The following local partners will receive grants and/or loans:
• Itasca County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), $249,986 in grant funds for a Diagnostic Study of Deer and Pokegama Lakes. • Southeast Minnesota Water Resources Board, $143,600 in grant funds for continuing the Southeast Minnesota Volunteer Nitrate Monitoring Network.
• Cass County Administration (Pine River Watershed Alliance), $105,712 in grant funds for establishing the Pine River Watershed Stream Baseline Water Quality.
• City of Fergus Falls, $98,500 in grant funds for a Lake Alice Resource Investigation Project.
• Carnelian-Marine-St. Croix Watershed District, $58,000 in grant funds for Square Lake Implementation Plan Refinement and $39,000 in grant funds for Sand and Long Lake Diagnostic Studies.
• Capitol Region Watershed District, $50,000 in grant funds for the Crosby Lake Management Plan, and $430,000 in loan funds for Enhanced Total Phosphorus Removal in an Urban Wetland System.
• Pelican River Watershed District, $47,188 in grant funds for the Pearl Lake Diagnostic Study.
• Middle Fork Crow River Watershed District, $33,000 in grant funds for the Green Lake Eurasian Watermilfoil/Stormwater Study.
• Rice Creek Watershed District, $20,100 in grant funds for the Clear Lake Water Quality Diagnostic Study and $110,200 in grant funds for Lake Johanna/Oasis Pond Water Quality Treatment.
• Vadnais Lake Area Watershed Management Organization, $15,000 in grant funds for the Lambert Creek Retrofit Identification and Design Project.
• Watonwan County, $1.2 million in loan funds for Greater Blue Earth and Des Moines River Sub-surface Sewer Treatment System (SSTS) loans.
• North Fork Crow River Watershed District, $750,000 in loan funds for North Fork Crow Septic System/ Feedlot Upgrades.
• Rock County SWCD/Land Management, $650,000 in loan funds for the Rock River Replacement SSTS Loan Program.
• Faribault County, $250,000 in grant funding and $200,000 in loan funds for the East Branch Blue Earth River Watershed Approach.
• Sibley SWCD, $9,770 in grant funds and $273,000 in loan funds for the Bevens/Silver Creek SSTS Project.
• Meeker County/ Crow River Organization of Water, $250,000 in grant funds for Reducing Sediment in the Crow River Basin.
• Greater Blue Earth River Basin, $227,600 in grant funds for Blue Earth River Basin Restoration Positions.
The grants and loans were based on recommendations of MPCA staff and the Intergovernmental Project Coordination Team, an interagency group established by state law, consisting of representatives from about 20 local, state and federal agencies. For more information about these projects, contact Pete Fastner of the MPCA at 651-757-2349 or toll-free at 1-800-657-3864.
