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About the Minnesota Stormwater Manual

What is Minnesota Stormwater Manual?

The Minnesota Stormwater Manual is a comprehensive, science-based resource designed to support effective stormwater management across the state. It serves as a practical guide for engineers, planners, regulators, developers, educators, and others working to protect Minnesota’s water resources. The manual compiles best practices, design guidance, and technical information to help communities reduce runoff, improve water quality, and manage stormwater in a sustainable, cost-effective manner.

The content reflects the latest research, regulatory requirements, and field-tested practices. It covers topics such as green infrastructure, low-impact development, hydrology, pollutant removal, and maintenance of stormwater control measures. The manual is intended to be an evolving resource, updated regularly to reflect new science, policy, and lessons learned from implementation.

The Minnesota Stormwater Manual is NOT

While the manual is a valuable tool, it is not a rule, regulation, or legal requirement. It does not replace federal, state, or local permits, ordinances, or design standards. Rather, it should be used as a supporting reference that complements these requirements.

The manual is also not a substitute for professional technical judgment. Each stormwater project has unique site conditions, goals, and constraints, and practitioners must apply their own expertise and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

How to Use the Manual

The manual is organized to make information accessible and actionable. Users can:

  • Explore by topic: Navigate chapters and sections to find technical guidance on practices such as infiltration systems, rain gardens, stormwater ponds, or permeable pavements.
  • Search for details: Use search functions to quickly locate design criteria, pollutant removal data, or construction and maintenance recommendations.
  • Apply best practices: Adapt the manual’s strategies to site-specific conditions, using the guidance as a framework rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.
  • Stay current: Check for updates and revisions, as the manual evolves with new information, technologies, and regulatory changes.

By using the Minnesota Stormwater Manual, communities and professionals can design and maintain stormwater systems that protect water quality, reduce flooding, and contribute to healthier ecosystems across Minnesota.

A note on terminology

In reading this guidance, it may be important to understand certain terminology. This is summarized below.

  • This website comprises all the material within the Minnesota Stormwater Manual. It includes many separate webpages, which is a term discussed below.
  • Webpage includes all material within the page that you are on. The website is comprised on many webpages. The term page is often used and is considered synonymous with webpage.
  • The name "Manual" is used interchangeably with "Minnesota Stormwater Manual" throughout this website.
  • There are many types of images within the website. These include photos, figures, schematics, illustrations, graphs, etc. We have attempted to categorize images by type. For example, captions for photos within the website contain the word photo so that searches can be made on photos. Image is a generic term that may apply to any of the items referred to above.

Understanding internal links

An internal link is a hyperlink that is a reference or navigation element in an article to another section of the same article or to another article that may be on or part of the Minnesota stormwater Manuel. In articles like this one, the words highlighted in blue are examples of internal links.

Links are considered either "external" or "internal" depending on perspective. Generally, a link to a page outside the Minnesota Stormwater Manual is considered external, whereas one to a location in the Minnesota Stormwater Manual is considered internal. Although this can be a matter of semantics for some sites that are internal to the MPCA websites but external to the Stormwater Manual itself.

Understanding external links

Minnesota Stormwater Manual articles may include links to web pages outside Minnesota Stormwater Manual (external links). They should not normally be considered as part of the body of an article. Some links include those that contain further research are information that could not be added to the article for reasons such as copyright or amount of detail, or other meaningful, relevant content that is not suitable for inclusion in an article for reasons unrelated to its accuracy.

Printing

In general, printing individual webpages from this website is as simple as selecting print from your web browser. In modern browsers, the print function of the browser should automatically use the rules in the style sheets when you print an article, therefore the print command of your web browser is all you normally need to use. Certain page elements normally do not print; these include section edit links, navigation boxes, message boxes and metadata.

Documents

Suggested Manual citations

Here we provide recommendations for information to include when citing the manual.  For information on specific citation styles and requirements we recommend the Chicago Manual of Style. 

When citing specific information in the manual, include the title of page you are referencing, and the page URL along with the date the information was accessed. 

When acknowledging the Manual as a source of information on a topic, as would in a work consulted or bibliography, minimally, include a list of page titles consulted and the homepage URL; or a section title(s) (navigation menu label) and section URL (landing page for the menu item) if consulting one or more pages grouped within a topic. 

  • The Minnesota Stormwater Manual. Accessed (month date), (year), from (homepage URL). Specifically, (page title 1), (page title 2), (page title 3), etc. 

    Example: The Minnesota Stormwater Manual. Accessed October 9, 2025, from https://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php?title=Main_Page. Specifically, Alleviating compaction from construction activities, Compost and stormwater management, and Erosion prevention practices - tackifiers and soil stabilizers.

  • (Section/menu title). The Minnesota Stormwater Manual. Accessed (month date), (year), from (Section landing page URL).

    Example: Construction stormwater BMPs. The Minnesota Stormwater Manual. Accessed October 9, 2025, from (Section landing page URL). https://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php?title=construction_stormwater_best_management_practices.

The Minnesota Stormwater Manual is an authoritative source of information but is being continually updated. Although this material has been or is being peer reviewed, as with any source you should be cautious when relying upon it.