Overview
Watershed-based implementation funding is an alternative to the traditional project-by-project competitive process often used to fund water quality improvement projects.
This funding allows collaborating local governments to pursue timely solutions based on a watershed's highest priority needs.
The approach depends on comprehensive watershed management plans developed under One Watershed, One Plan program or the Metropolitan Surface or Ground Water Management framework to provide assurance that actions are prioritized, targeted and measurable.
The Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) is using watershed-based implementation funding to accelerate water management outcomes and improve consistency and efficiency across the state. This approach integrates available data with a reliable source of funding that helps local governments spend limited resources where they are most needed, reduces time spent on competitive grant applications and enhances science-based decision making.
- On September 25, 2019, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) approved the FY20-21 Watershed-based Implementation Funding (WBIF) watershed allocations and program policy making $24 million from Minnesota's Clean Water Fund available to implement local clean water priorities.
- Four assurance measures have been created for this program to provide a framework for summarizing and systematically evaluating how non-competitive watershed-based funding is being used to achieve clean water goals as articulated in watershed plans. Assurance measures can be found in the linked policy below.
Resources
- Guiding Principles
- Program Policies
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Fact Sheet (pdf)
- Grant Profile (includes eLINK Budget Request & Work Plan Guidance)
- Assurance Measures Procedures for Watershed-based Implementation
- FY20-21 Approved Allocations
- Approved Comprehensive Watershed Management Plans
Resources for the 7-County Twin Cities Metro Area (TCMA)
Note that the General Program Policies and Resources above also apply to WBIF used in the TCMA, but the following resources relate only to Metro WBIF dollars.
- Metro Area Convene Process (updated May 13, 2020) (pdf)
- FY20-21 Interim Process for Metro Soil and Water Conservation Districts (pdf) (updated February 19, 2020)
- Metro Area Boundary Map (pdf)