About the Minnesota Water Research Digital Library

About the Minnesota Water Research Digital Library


Search, Share, Coordinate

The Minnesota Water Research Digital Library is a user-friendly, searchable inventory of water research relevant to Minnesota, with emphasis on publications from 2000 forward. The Library provides one-stop access to all types of water research. Managers, researchers, and engaged citizens can search water topics including:

  • Protection
  • Conservation
  • Management
  • Restoration

Users in many sectors will be able to easily search, share, and coordinate research to support their efforts.

From a base of over 2500 peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed articles and reports, the Library is expected to grow steadily in quantity and quality as partner organizations curate collections of scientific and technical articles in their areas of expertise.

History and Future of the Library

Minnesota has a long history of water research with publications scattered across multiples websites and other media not readily accessible by water professionals, researchers and citizens.

Between 2008 and 2010, Minnesota stakeholders ranging from stormwater managers to agricultural groups, a Clean Water Council work group, and the Clean Water Fund Interagency Research Team, identified the need for a centralized, readily accessible inventory of current water research to support water protection, restoration, and management activities across the state. The Minnesota Water Research Digital Library was developed to meet this need.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) began scoping and developing the Library in 2011 in consultation with diverse stakeholders. The MDA finished developing and began populating the Library with input and assistance from representatives of local, state and federal government, higher education, business and professional associations. We especially thank Advisory Committee members who met with us nine times and provided valuable feedback and assistance between meetings as the Library was being developed and tested. Resources to develop and establish the Library came from Clean Water Fund appropriations to MDA and other MDA funding.

The MDA currently hosts the Library and a diverse Steering Team oversees its long-term management and growth. The MDA is developing partnerships with other agencies and organizations to collect, enter and curate articles on water research topics in which they specialize. See the Partners page for more information about the Steering Team and other Library partners.