Minnesota Clean Water Fund Conservation Drainage Grants

1. Minnesota Clean Water Fund Conservation Drainage Grants Managing Water, Harvesting Results – America's Ag Water Management Summit October 11 - 12, 2011, Bloomington, MN Al Kean, Chief Engineer, MN BWSR

2. MN Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment • 3/8 of 1% sales tax increase for 25 years • Voter approved in 2008, effective July 1, 2009 • 4 Funds • Clean Water Fund (33%) (approx. $80 - $90M / yr.) • Outdoor Heritage Fund (33%) • Parks and Trails Fund (14.25%) • Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (19.75%)

3. MN Clean Water Fund Competitive Grants • Several grant programs for various clean water practices, projects and technical assistance • Delivery through local government units, including SWCDs, WDs, WMOs, Counties, Cities • Must have a state approved, locally adopted water management plan, or TMDL Plan • Grants can be partnered with Federal programs and initiatives, such as EQIP, MRBI, etc.

4. BWSR Conservation Drainage Grants • For pilot projects, practices and outreach to retrofit existing drainage systems (public or private) for WQ • Grants require minimum 25% non-state match • Example eligible practices: • Side inlet controls to drainage ditches • Alternative tile intakes • Vegetated buffers at side inlets or tile intakes • Controlled subsurface drainage structures • Woodchip bioreactors • Technical assistance for drainage system master plans to reduce peak flows and erosion (e.g. culvert sizing)

5. The Challenge of Terminology • Multipurpose Drainage – drainage practices and designs that address agricultural needs, peak flow and flood damage reduction, erosion reduction, and water quality improvement in drainage systems from the field scale to the watershed scale • Conservation Drainage – a subset of multipurpose drainage, with a focus on water quality improvement

6. BWSR Conservation Drainage Grants • Grant Funding to date: • FY 2010 $200,000 • FY 2011 $313,000 • FY 2012 $950,000

7. BWSR Conservation Drainage Grants • Practices and projects assisted to date: • Many side inlet controls to drainage ditches (one type of Grade Stabilization Structure – 410) • Several controlled subsurface drainage retrofit structures (Drainage Water Management – 554) • Substantial number of woodchip bioreactors (Denitrifying Bioreactor – IA Interim 747) • One culvert sizing master plan for a judicial ditch system to reduce peak flows and erosion

8. BWSR Conservation Drainage Engineer – Job Opening • Seeking experienced civil or agricultural engineer • program technical direction • interagency coordination and facilitation • outreach • technical review and consultation for multipurpose drainage • Job Announcement and Position Description at: www.bwsr.state.mn.us , Job Postings • Apply at: www.careers.state.mn.us/ thru 10-30-11

9. Contact Information Al Kean, Chief Engineer Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources 520 Lafayette Rd. N., St. Paul, MN 55155 Office: 651-297-2907 Cell: 651-245-6531 Email: al.kean@state.mn.us