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Committee hears $190,000-per-year request to fund Area II Minnesota River Basin floodplain work
Summary
Area II Minnesota River Basin Projects requested $190,000 in each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to sustain floodplain management and floodwater retention work across nine southwestern Minnesota counties; the committee laid the request over for possible inclusion.
Senate File 946, a funding request to restore and maintain state support for Area II Minnesota River Basin Projects, was presented and laid over by the Senate Environment Committee on April 1.
The request seeks $190,000 each year in fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2027 from the state general fund to support Area II's floodplain management and floodwater retention work across nine counties in southwestern Minnesota.
"This request is not an increase; it maintains our funding at its current level," said Carrie Nutske, executive director of Area II Minnesota River Basin Projects in Marshall. She described the region's unique topography (the Coteau des Prairies or Buffalo Ridge) and said the area is prone to fast-moving runoff that carries sediment and nutrients into the Minnesota River. Area II's work focuses on floodwater storage, retention and projects that reduce downstream sediment and nutrient loads.
Nutske outlined Area II's history: the entity was created by statute in 1978 with a state appropriation to support administration and project construction. She said state funding was reduced multiple times beginning in the 1980s and has only recently been restored to $190,000; the group now relies on project-specific bonding and strong local matches. "Area 2's nine member counties have proven their commitment by never reducing their local match," she said.
Senators acknowledged that upstream retention and stormwater management can reduce damage and erosion downstream. Senator Sandeep (surname not provided in transcript) commented on the value of retention given heavier rains.
The committee laid Senate File 946 over for possible inclusion in broader legislation. No formal vote on final appropriation was taken at the hearing; the request will be considered as the budget process moves forward.
