Clean Water Legacy Partners Grant Program

The Clean Water Legacy Partners Grant Program, administered by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, aims to enhance partnerships for protecting and restoring Minnesota's water resources. With funding of $500,000 for the first year and $2,000,000 for the second year, the program supports initiatives like clean water workshops, rain gardens, and shoreline protection. Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations and tribal governments dedicated to improving water quality.

Purpose
The Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) Clean Water Legacy Partners Grant Program expands partnerships to protect and restore Minnesota’s water resources. The funding is outlined in the:
Laws of Minnesota 2023, Chapter 40, Article 2, Section 6 (m) $500,000 the first year and $500,000 the second year are for developing and implementing a water legacy grant program to expand partnerships for clean water; andLaws of Minnesota 2024, Chapter 106, Article 2, Section 6 (c) $2,000,000 the second year is for developing and implementing a water legacy grant program to expand partnerships for clean water.
The Clean Water Fund was established in Minnesota Statutes 114D.50 to implement part of Article XI, Section 15, of the Minnesota Constitution, with the purpose of protecting, enhancing, and restoring water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams in addition to protecting ground water and drinking water sources from degradation. Clean Water Funds must supplement traditional sources of funding and may not be used as a substitute to fund activities or programs.
The primary purpose of activities funded through this program is to expand partnerships for clean water through activities that protect or restore water quality in lakes, rivers, or streams, or protect groundwater or drinking water. Examples of previously funded projects include but are not limited to clean water workshops and trainings, rain gardens, streambank and shoreline protection, and prescribed grazing.
Non-governmental organizations and tribal governments are eligible for this funding.
A non-governmental organization is defined as an organization that is a nonprofit, also known as a charitable organization, that is formed for the purpose of fulfilling a mission to improve the common good of society rather than to acquire and distribute profits. The organization meets the definition in Minn. Stat. §309.50 Subd. 4 and meets the Internal Revenue Service code definitions, with the most common type being a 501 (c) (3), (Policy 08-06 Minnesota Office of Grants Management). Minnesota Tribal Governments refers to the federally recognized sovereign tribal nations that share geography with Minnesota (MINN STAT. 10.65), the 1854 Treaty Authority, and the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission.