On Wednesday, April 11, Senator Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks) presented legislation to modify the Clean Water Legacy Act in the Senate’s Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance Committee. The bill, SF 3647, is a result of a collaborate effort between the legislature and local and state agencies. The legislation modifies the Clear Water Legacy act by streamlining the process for water quality projects, decreasing duplicative efforts and increasing cooperation among entities.

“Over the past 15 years, Minnesota enacted several laws aimed at clean water, but they lacked a structure for coordination,” said Senator Mark Johnson, Vice-Chair of the Senate’s Agriculture, Rural Development and, Housing Finance Committee. “This bill allows agencies, counties, watershed districts, and others to collaborate on work already done. We are providing the necessary modifications to the Clean Water Legacy Act to streamline the process and allow us to get results, not just plans.”

The Clean Water Legacy Act was adopted in 2006 and was designed is to protect, enhance, and restore water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams and to protect groundwater from degradation. It established the authority, direction, and resources necessary to achieve and maintain water quality standards for groundwater and surface waters.

This bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.