Minnesota Stormwater Steering Committee

Minnesota is known for its sky-blue lakes and scenic rivers. Though Minnesota's water resource appears endless, it remains vulnerable to pollution from everyday human activities.

Stormwater, mixed with dirt, engine oil, household chemicals and plant matter, choke aquatic life and change the physical features of streams and lakes — sometimes permanently.

Add to this problem the unique challenges of Minnesota’s climate and geological concerns.

Solving the problem of stormwater pollution isn't easy, but it is possible. The most effective solution to stormwater pollution is encouraging Minnesotans to change the way they see and treat stormwater.

In 2004, a team of public and private organizations joined together to take on this complex, challenging problem. This team, now subdivided into seven goal-driven workgroups, is called the Stormwater Steering Committee.

Stormwater Steering Committee Vision

To ensure a high quality of life, Minnesotans will view stormwater as a resource and will manage stormwater to protect or restore our rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands and groundwater.

• Charter
• Stormwater Steering Committee - Vision, Goal, Principles, November 2008
• Stormwater Design Team - Purpose, Goal, Vision and Tenets, February 2004

Stormwater Management Roadmap

The Stormwater Steering Committee has developed the Stormwater Management Roadmap to guide future stormwater management efforts in Minnesota. The Roadmap was developed through a collaborative process within the Stormwater Steering Committee, and included extensive stakeholder discussions on stormwater priorities, problems, and potential solutions.

The Roadmap provides a framework and identifies a direction for all elements of stormwater management; regulation, education, research, funding and other resources, to meet Minnesota’s water quality goals. The Roadmap is needed to address the disjointed stormwater regulations, programs, and research efforts which often conflict or duplicate efforts. The Roadmap addresses these issues by outlining the necessary steps to create an integrated effective, stormwater management system. The Roadmap document and PowerPoint presentation describing the Roadmap are provided below.

• Stormwater Management Roadmap for Minnesota
• Stormwater Management Roadmap - Action Category Scope of Action Documents:
  • Action Category I.A
  • Action Category I.B
  • Action Category II.A
  • Action Category II.B
  • Action Category II.C
  • Action Category III.A
  • Action Category III.B
  • Action Category III.C
• Stormwater Management Roadmap - Presentation
  
• Stormwater Management Roadmap - Summary of Action Categories and Action Items

Workgroups

• Construction Stormwater Permit Compliance. This group focuses on the steps needed to achieve greater compliance with the construction stormwater general permit.
  •  Recommended Solutions to Enhance Compliance with the NPDES Construction Permit

• Education.This group focuses on educating Minnesotans about the importance of stormwater.
  • Recommendations on Outstanding Stormwater Education Needs. Document summarizes the discussions of this group on the stormwater education needs of Minnesota as of October 2007.

• Industrial Stormwater. This group met for just over three years with Minnesota Pollution Control Agency staff to develop the Industrial Stormwater General Permit and program. MPCA staff are currently responding to an influx of permit applications and as a result, this group has not met since winter 2010.
• Low-Impact Development. This group focuses on encouraging the construction of stormwater-aware homes, businesses and developments.
• Minimal Impact Design Standards (MIDS). This group is working to develop performance standards, design standards, and other tools to enable and promote the implementation of low impact development and other stormwater management techniques.
• Nondegradation. This group assists the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency develop the state's non-degradation policy.
• Operations.  This group supports the Stormwater Steering Committee by organizing meetings and setting agendas.
• Stormwater Manual. This group created and maintains a user guide for post-construction urban stormwater management in Minnesota.
• Research and Monitoring. This group directs rigorous, peer-reviewed stormwater research and promotes standardized monitoring.
  • Stormwater Research and Monitoring: Links to information about stormwater research and assessment.
• Watershed-Based Approach.This group is exploring the possibility of a new framework for stormwater permitting.
  • Integrating Stormwater Permitting and Watershed Management

Meeting Agendas and Notes

•  SSC Meeting Agendas and Notes 2010 - 2011 (wq-strm8-57)
•  SSC Meeting Agendas and Notes 2008 - 2009 (wq-strm8-56)

Meeting agendas and notes for 2004 - 2007 are available upon request. See Steering Committee Contact information below.

Committee Organization

• Design Team Members
• Current Steering Committee Participants (Note:  the list of current Steering Committee participants is being updated.)

Steering Committee Contact

• Anne Gelbmann, 651-757-2384

Member Organizations

• Associated General Contractors of Minnesota
• Association of Minnesota Counties
• Board of Water and Soil Resources
• Builders Association of Minnesota
• Builders Association of the Twin Cities
• Friends of the Mississippi River
• League of Minnesota Cities
• Metropolitan Council
• Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts
• Minnesota Association of Townships
• Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts
• Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
• Minnesota Cities Stormwater Coalition
• Minnesota Environmental Partnership
• Minnesota Erosion Control Association
• Minnesota Department of Agriculture
• Minnesota Department of Health
• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
• Minnesota Department of Transportation
• Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation
• Minnesota Farmers Union
• Minnesota Land Improvement Contractors Association
• Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
• Minnesota Public Works Association
• University of Minnesota
• University of Minnesota Extension Service