Biennial Report of the Clean Water Council

Enacted in June 2006, the Clean Water Legacy Act (CWLA) established the Clean Water Council. The 23-member Governor-appointed Council's mission is to advise Minnesota's legislative and executive branches on the administration and implementation of the CWLA and to facilitate coordination between all stakeholders playing a role in achieving clean water for Minnesotans. The Council was officially launched in March 2007. As required by the CWLA, the Clean Water Council has prepared policy and funding recommendations for FY2010 and 2011 (see detailed budget summary on page 9), including: • Funding for monitoring and assessment. The Council recommends funding for monitoring and assessment at $14.89 million in FY2010–2011. This is consistent with the one-time funding of $14.89 million in FY2008–2009. At this funding level, 100 percent coverage of priority waters can be achieved in all major watersheds on a 10- year cycle. • Funding for TMDL development. The Council recommends funding for TMDL development at $20.61 million in FY2010–2011. This is equal to FY2008–2009 one-time funding levels, which increased the capacity of state and local governments to adequately develop TMDL studies on a timely basis. Progress will further improve if this funding level is met while adopting a major watershed approach (further described on page 4 of this report). • Ramp-up restoration and protection efforts. There is a broad and growing need to restore impaired lakes, rivers and streams and to prevent clean waters from becoming impaired. The Council recommends $61.42 million for FY2010–2011, compared to one-time funding of $18.5 million in FY2008–2009, to begin meeting this need. • Infrastructure investments. There is a growing need to improve wastewater and stormwater treatment. Specific budget recommendations from the Council will be provided for the 2009 Legislative session. • Invest in civic engagement to enhance long term success of restoration and protection efforts. To meet the civic engagement goals of the CWLA, the Council recommends $1.8 million for the biennium to develop and test a civic science program in targeted watersheds. • Define and report on performance measures to track CWLA effectiveness. The Council developed an effectiveness tracking and reporting framework to meet the CWLA's call for outcome related performance measures. State agencies will further define and begin reporting on specific measures in 2009. • Support high priority research to more effectively address impaired waters. The Council sponsored and utilized the results of a research symposium, convened by the University of Minnesota Water Resources Center, that brought together over 150 policy-makers and practitioners to identify critical research needs. The Council recommends that state agencies prioritize their research dollars to meet these needs.