Clean Water Council presents statewide priorities, flags funding uncertainty for local conservation districts

Paul Gardner, administrator for the Minnesota Clean Water Council, told the Minnesota House Legacy Committee that the council’s recommendations for fiscal 2026–27 focus on expanding monitoring, drinking-water source protection and targeted implementation in impaired watersheds, while warning that a tighter state revenue forecast could increase demand for Clean Water Fund support for soil and water conservation districts.

The presentation, given during a Legacy Committee meeting, summarized 15 years of monitoring and planning funded by the Clean Water Fund and explained how the council prioritizes funding to get measurable water-quality improvements. "We test our waters…find the source of the problem…come up with a plan to fix the problem," Gardner said, describing the council’s approach to watershed-scale planning and long-term projects.

Why it matters: the Clean Water Fund is the state’s principal dedicated revenue stream for water-quality work created by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment. Gardner said the council expects to recommend allocations that stretch across drinking-water protection, groundwater work and surface-water restoration, and noted that some local partners—especially soil and water conservation districts…