Funding

Information: We no longer update this page. Some or many of these funding opportunities or funded projects likely no longer exist or have been completed.

This page provides information on funding sources and funding opportunities for stormwater projects, as well as a list of currently funded and previously funded projects.

Funding sources

• Green Stormwater Infrastructure Grant Opportunity: Through the Great Urban Parks Campaign, the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is offering grant funding totaling $2,000,000 to 10-12 communities across the country to support green stormwater infrastructure projects in parks. The purpose of this grant opportunity is to demonstrate the effectiveness of green stormwater infrastructure to positively affect environmental and social change in underserved communities, and to empower residents to be actively engaged in projects that address community needs and meet local stormwater management goals. Applications for the Great Urban Parks Campaign grant will be accepted through August 3, 2018. Click here to learn more and access the application. For questions, please see the Frequently Asked Questions document for more information. For any questions not covered in the FAQ or issues with the application, please email GUPC@nrpa.org.
• Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment: Funds are available for stormwater projects through the Board of Water and Soil Resources. Check the web site for information on availability of funding and also examples of stormwater projects that have been funded with Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment funding.
• Federal 319 grant State of Minnesota Watershed Project Funding: Funding opportunities for watershed projects around the state are available through federal and state funds. These funds are awarded through either competitive watershed grants (such as Federal Section 319 and State Clean Water Partnership) or non-competitive (for Clean Water Fund dollars) processes. For information about other water-related funding opportunities at the MPCA, please visit Financial Assistance Grants and Loans. Note: The Clean Water Partnership Loan program is open and there is no end date for application. A total of 15 million dollars is available.
• Clean Water Revolving Fund, also known as the Clean Water State Revolving Fund or simply SRF. The SRF is established under the Federal Clean Water Act and state law to make loans to for both point source (wastewater and stormwater) and nonpoint source water pollution control projects. The Public Facilities Authority (PFA) prepares an annual Intended Use Plan (IUP) based on a Project Priority List developed by the MPCA. The IUP describes the projects and activities eligible for funding during the state fiscal year. This fund includes an allocation for green projects. For more information, see the Wastewater and Stormwater Financial Assistance page.
• Watershed Districts: Cost share programs are available through many watershed districts. Contact your local watershed district to find out if you are eligible for project funding. Contact the Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts for more information.
• Soil and Water Conservation Districts: Cost share programs for stormwater projects may be available through your local soil and water conservation district. Contact the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
• Agriculture BMP Loan Program: Through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the AgBMP Loan Program is a water quality program that provides low interest loans to farmers, rural landowners, and agriculture supply businesses. The purpose is to encourage agricultural Best Management Practices that prevent or reduce runoff from feedlots, farm fields and other pollution problems identified by the county in local water plans.
• Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund: Through the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund provides funding for activities that protect, conserve, preserve, and enhance Minnesota's air, water, land, fish, wildlife, and other natural resources for the benefit of current citizens and future generations.
• Environmental Assistance Grants Program: NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS. Known as the EA grants, the grant program provides financial assistance for researching, developing, or implementing projects and practices related to all aspects of waste management and prevention, including hazardous substances, toxic pollutants, and problem materials. Additionally, market development and education grants are also allowed under the laws governing these grants. MPCA seeks to encourage environmentally sustainable practices and approaches to pollution prevention and resource conservation.
• Phosphorus Reduction Grant Program: Offered by the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority, the Point Source Implementation grant program provides grants to units of local government to assist with the cost of water infrastructure projects necessary to meet waste load reductions prescribed under a total maximum daily load (TMDL) plan, reduce the discharge of total phosphorus to one milligram per liter or less, meet any other water quality-based effluent limit established under section Minnesota Statute Section 115.03, subd 1, (e)(8), and meet a total nitrogen concentration or mass limit that requires discharging ten milligrams per liter or less at a permitted design flow.
• Small Community Wastewater Treatment Construction Loans & Grants: The Minnesota Public Facilities Authority's grant program to provide funding to help communities replace non-complying septic systems and straight pipes with new individual or cluster subsurface sewage treatment systems (SSTS) that will be publicly owned, operated and maintained.
• Source Water Protection Grant Program: Through the Minnesota Department of Health, this program offers funds to public water suppliers to protect source water.
• Surface Water Assessment Grants: These grant funds can be sued to determine the health of lakes and streams by soil and water conservation districts, watershed districts, watershed management organizations, local governmental units, American Indian tribal governments in Minnesota, Minnesota colleges and universities, and joint powers organizations.
• The Minnesota Local Road Research Board’s Local Operational Research Assistance (OPERA): This program helps develop innovations in the construction and maintenance operations of local government transportation organizations and share those ideas statewide. The OPERA program encourages maintenance employees from all cities and counties to get involved in operational or hands-on research. The program funds projects up to $10,000 through an annual request-for-proposal process.
• The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF): WERF funds water quality research that is funded through a competitive process.
• Additional funding sources: There are several grant and loan programs through the federal government for education and outreach and purchasing equipment and implementation of the BMPs. A list of federal grant programs can be found at: water.epa.gov/grants_funding/.

Funding Workshop

A Stormwater Funding Strategies workshop was held on February 6, 2017. Speakers were invited to talk about their source of funding and successful grant or loan recipients presented on the process they went through to receive the funding. All the presentations are listed below.

• Agenda File:Funding workshop 2017.docx
• Asset Management by Michael Thompson, City of Maplewood File:CityofMaplewoodAssetMgmt-MPCA.pptx
• Clean Water Fund by Marcey Westrick, Board of Water and Soil Resources File:2-6-17 BWSR Stormwater CWF.pptx
• Projects and Practices by Nate Zwonitzer, Capitol Region Watershed District File:Project Funding Upper Villa and Central HS.pptx
• Accelerated Implementation grant by Mike Isensee, Middle St. Croix WMO File:MSCWMO AIG MIDS Presentation.pptx
• Time Sensitive Assistance Opportunities by Laura Millberg, MPCA Sustainable Communities
• Clean Water Partnership and 319 Update by Bill Dunn, MPCA Watershed Division File:Stormwater nonpoint source grants workshop presentation 17-02-06.ppt
• Clean Water Partnership grant recipient, Justin Hanson, Cedar River Watershed District File:Cedar River project.pdf
• State Revolving Fund, Point Source Implementation Grant by Becky Sabie, Public Facilities Authority and Bill Dunn, MPCA File:Becky Stormwater webinar PFA 2-1-17.pptx
• Grant recipient, Phil Martin, Bolton and Menk-City of Wadena project File:SE Wadena Improvements.pptx
• Summary of Stormwater Funding Opportunities File:Sources of Funding for Stormwater Projects 2017.docx

The recorded webinar can be found here. Please note that Nate Zwonitzer's presentation does not appear in the recorded version because of technical difficulties. Refer to the power point presentation listed above for information about this project.

Recently Funded projects

• Projects awarded under the Clean Water Action Section 319 grant for fiscal year 2017 were approved. The projects include a $92,588 grant to Carnelian-Marine-St. Croix Watershed District to reduce phosphorus loading and sedimentation to the St. Croix River, a 💲76,000 grant to Carnelian-Marine-St. Croix Watershed District to design and install up to four stormwater quality improvement practices to reduce phosphorus loading to Goose Lake and a $300,000 grant to Washington Conservation District to design and install up to sixteen stormwater quality improvement practices within the St. Croix Watershed to reduce phosphorus loading.
• On June 2, 2017, the Metropolitan Council announced it had awarded grants for eight stormwater management projects in the seven-county metro area to improve water quality and reuse stormwater for irrigation. For more information and a description of the funded projects, go to the Met Council's Newsletter page and find the June 2 release. Projects include $159,000 to the City of Fridley to construct a lined stormwater pond with iron enhanced pretreatment, 💲150,000 to the City of Minneapolis for stormwater capture systems, 💲150,000 to the City of South St. Paul to install an underground infiltration system including pretreatment devices and tree trenches, 💲150,000 for a stormwater reuse system at New Brighton's Lions Park, 💲37,000 for a filtration basin at the Kindergarten Center in Chaska, $150,000 to the City of Crystal for an infiltration gallery, 💲150,000 for an irrigation system at Shoreview Rice Creek fields and 💲53,507 for a biochar enhanced filter in Fridley.
• On December 14, 2016, the Board of Soil and Water Resources (BWSR) approved more that 13 million dollars in Clean Water Grants. Many of the grants will fund stormwater projects. To learn more about the projects and the communities that received funding, go to BWSR's Clean Water Fund web site.
• On December 14, 2016, the Metropolitan Council announced Livable Communities grant recipients. Several of the projects include funding for stormwater projects including Knox and American in Bloomington, Artspace in Hastings, Hook and Ladder in Minneapolis, Sabathani, in Minneapolis, Dorothy Day in St. Paul and West Side Flats in St. Paul. Go to the Met Council’s News and Events page web site and scroll down to the article-Council awards 10 million dollars in grants to spur economic development and affordable housing.
• The Legislative Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) awarded a grant to the University of Minnesota to Maximize the Benefits of Water Reuse
• On June 23, 2016, the Metropolitan Council announced the grant recipients for stormwater projects. The funded projects include a harvest and use irrigation system at the Chanhassen High School, a rainwater collection system at the Eden Prairie fire station, a rainwater irrigation system in the City of Hugo, a rainwater reuse system at the Minneapolis Westminster Church in Minneapolis, green infrastructure elements at the Midway Soccer Redevelopment site and rain gardens in the Harrison neighborhood of North Minneapolis. See the June 23, 2016 posted article in Met Council's Wastewater & Water News & Events.
• The Rice Creek Watershed District was awarded a Clean Water Grant to develop and implement a stormwater reuse irrigation assessment tool. The tool will identify and prioritize possible project locations to determine which offer the greatest reductions in groundwater pumping for the lowest cost. For more information, go to the Rice Creek Watershed District web site.
• On December 16, 2015, the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) approved 64 projects for clean water. Examples of stormwater projects include: Big Trout Lake in Crow Wing County, Keller Lake in Burnsville, Lake St. Croix Retrofit in the Middle St. Croix Watershed Management Organization, Thompson Lake in the Lower Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization, Becker Park Infiltration project in Shingle Creek, Birch Lake Stormwater Retrofits in Sherburne Soil and Water Conservation District, Northwood Lake in Bassett Creek, Silver Lake treatment project in Valley Branch Watershed District, detention basins in the Itasca Soil and Water Conservation District, a water re-use system in King Park in the Vermillion River Watershed, and an anti-icing production upgrade to the City of Bloomington. For more details on these projects, go the the Board of Water and Soil Resources web site.
• In July, 2015, the Metropolitan Council approved two grants for innovative stormwater reuse. Recipients are the City of Waconia and the Minnesota Zoo. More more information, go to the Metropolitan Council's web site
• The City of Medina was awarded a Clean Water Partnership grant to install a filtration basin in the Ardmore neighborhood. For more information, contact Steve Scherer at 763-475-8842 or steve.scherer@ci.medina.mn.us
• The City of St. Cloud was awarded a Clean Water Partnership grant to reduce impervious surfaces, disconnect impervious surface, and install bioretention facilities and other volume reduction best management practices. For more information, contact Patrick Shea at 320-255-7225 or patrick.shea@ci.stcloud.mn.us
• The Bassett Creek Watershed Management Organization was awarded a Clean Water Partnership grant to capture and treat runoff from over 110 acres of an untreated urban area. Practices will include a structural treatment device for pre-treatment of runoff, underground stormwater re-use chamber, pump house, distribution system to irrigate 6.4 acres of ballfields. For more information, contact Laura Jester at 952-270-1990 or laura.jester@keystonewaters.com
• The Duluth Seaway Port Authority was awarded a Clean Water Partnership grant to investigate stormwater quality within impervious areas and propose options for effective best management practices with the investigated impervious areas. For more information, contact Deborah DeLuca at 218-727-8525 or ddeluca@duluthport.com
• The Port Authority of Winona was awarded a Clean Water Partnership grant for a rain garden in downtown Winona. More more information, contact Myron White at 507-457-8250 or mwhite@ci.winona.mn.us.
• On January 28, 2015, the Board of Water and Soil Resources announced the grant recipients for the Clean Water Fund. More than 14 million was awarded to local governments to improve water quality in Minnesota. For a complete list of projects that were awarded, go to Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources Clean Water Fund
• October, 2014: Clean Water Partnership grant and loan was awarded to the City of Winnebago for a green infrastructure project that will address water storage and illegal and illicit connections in a 25 block reconstruction project. Contact Chris Ziegler at cziegler@cityofwinnebago.com for additional information.
• October, 2014: Clean Water Partnership grant was awarded to Prior Lake-Spring Lake Watershed District for infiltration areas and a sedimentation pond enhancement. Contact Diane Lynch at dlynch@plslwd.org for more information.
• October, 2014: Clean Water Partnership grant was awarded to the Aitkin County Soil and Water Conservation District for rain gardens, vegetated filter strips, rain barrels and permeable pavers. Contact Janet Smude at smude.aitkinswcd@gmail.com for more information.
• October, 2014: Clean Water Partnership grant and loan was awarded to Buffalo Creek Watershed District for construction of stormwater best management practices, bank stabilization and shallow lake outlet restoration. Contact Chris Otterness at cotterness@houstoneng.com for more information.
• October, 2014: Clean Water Partnership grant was awarded to Faribault County Soil and Water Conservation District for rain water gardens, rain water harvesting, permeable pavement, bioretention, controlled drainage and water storage. Contact Michele Stindtman at michele.stindtman@co.faribault.mn.us for more information.
• October, 2014: Clean Water Partnership grant was awarded to the City of Annandale for infiltration trenches, infiltration and wet sedimentation and subsurface treatment units. Contact Jared Voge at jaredvo@bolton-menk.com for more information.
• October, 2014: Clean Water Partnership grant was awarded to Carver County Water Management Organization for stormwater treatment capacity to the Lake Waconia, Fountain Park area. Contact Charlie Sawdey at csawdey@co.carver.mn.us for more information.
• In April, 2014, the US EPA awarded a technical assistance grant to the City of St. Paul to help produce a green infrastructure feasibility study for a waterfront park in the vacated industrial area undergoing redevelopment. For additional information: http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/greeninfrastructure/gi_support.cfm#Technical Assistance or contact Wes Saunders-Pearce with the City of St. Paul: 651-266-9112
• On February 20, 2014, the US EPA announced a $250,000 grant to the City of Duluth to help reduce the flow of stormwater into Lake Superior Basin.
• On January 22, 2014 the Board of Water and Soil Resources Board approved the FY 2014 clean water fund recipients. To see a list of stormwater projects, click on this link. File:Clean Water Legacy Stormwater Projects 2014.docx To see a complete list of projects that were funded, go to the list of funded projects. Links to some of the stormwater projects are shown below.
  • Rice Creek Watershed projects - Clear Lake Stormwater Project; Golden Lake Iron-Enhanced Sand Filter Project; Middle Rice Creek Restoration.

Previously funded projects

For a complete list of stormwater projects funded with Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment funds, go to Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources-Clean Water, Land and Legacy Stories

• Maplewood Mall - 2009-2012

Sponsor: Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District

Contact: Cliff Aichinger, 651-792-7957; cliff@rwmwd.org

Funding sources: Section 319 grant-$500,000; Clean Water Fund Grants- $500,000 and $625,000; TMDL grant- $100,000; PFA SRF Loan- $1,200,000; Green Project Reserve Grant-$350,000

Purpose: The Kohlman Lake TMDL calls for the reduction of nutrients from watersheds and in-lake loading. One major source was the Maplewood Mall. The District identified that retrofitting the Mall parking areas to infiltrate or filter at least one inch of runoff would result in a large reduction in phosphorus to Kohlman Creek and the lake. BMPs include 55 rainwater gardens that filter 9 million galls of runoff, 6,733 square feet of permeable pavers that infiltrate 260,000 gallons of runoff, one cistern that holds 5,700 gallons of roof runoff and 375 trees that capture 11.2 million gallons of runoff. This is estimated to reduce phosphorus loading by 60% and reduce sediment loads by 90%.

For more information contact: Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District

• Rain Water Reuse and Valuation Investigation - 2014 - 2016

Sponsor: University of Minnesota Department of Earth Sciences

Contact: Scott Alexander, 612-626-4164 or alexa017@umn.edu

Funding source: Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund $300,000

Purpose Design, install, and monitor a rainwater reuse system for use in evaporative chiller systems and identify other potential applications for rainwater reuse systems.

• Forest Lake Stormwater Filtration Retrofit — 2013

Sponsor: Comfort Lake-Forest Lake Watershed District

Contact: Watershed Administrator, 651-209-9753, or Comfort Lake Forest Lake Watershed District

Funding source: Clean Water Partnership Grant $143,025

Purpose: This project will implement a stormwater retrofit of an existing stormwater pond and shoreline stabilization project in the Hilo Lane development, circa 1970s, located on the south shore of Forest Lake. Stormwater treatment for this 14 acre tributary drainage area comprised of residential land uses will include bio-filtration, iron enhanced sand filtration, channel stabilization and shoreline stabilization. The estimated nutrient reduction from the project is almost 12 pounds per year of total phosphorous.

• Assessing and Improving Pollution Prevention by Swales

Sponsor: MN Department of Transportation

Contact: Barbara Loida, MNDOT 651-366-3760

Funding source: Local Road Research Board $ 314,000

Purpose: This research will document the pollution prevention available through infiltration into the soil of swales and develop practical soil modifications which will make it possible to utilize existing right-of-way to meet permit requirements. The research will also develop methods to remove dissolved phosphorus and heavy metals in swales. Maintenance requirements will also be documented, demonstrating another advantage in using swales for pollution prevention and for runoff volume control.

• Permeable Pavement Systems-2012 to 2015

Sponsor:

Contact: Nelson Cruz, 651-366-3744

Funding source: Local Road Research Board $ 177,414

Purpose: The objective of this research is to summarize best practices for the hydraulic and structural design and maintenance of permeable asphalt, concrete, and interlocking concrete pavement systems in the State of Minnesota through reviewing the literature, contacting practitioners throughout the USA and other select countries who have experience with permeable asphalt and concrete, and identifying some of the unresolved issues dealing with full implementation of permeable pavements in the State of Minnesota.

• Sand and Long Lakes Protection Project-2013

Sponsor: Comfort Lake-Forest Lake Watershed District

Contact: Mike Kinney, 651-395-5855, michael.kinney@clflwd.org

Funding source: Clean Water Partnership Grant $ 132,000

Purpose: Implementation activities proposed as a part of the project include water quality monitoring, biotic surveys, sediment core sampling, mechanical treatment of curly-leaf pondweed, an iron enhanced sand filter, with a high capacity multi-stage weir and 40,000 pounds of iron filings and stakeholder involvement in the design process and educational presentations.

• Assessing Enhanced Swales for Pollution Prevention - 2011

Sponsor: University of Minnesota

Contact: Dr. John Gulliver, 612-625-4080, gulli003@umn.edu

Funding source: EPA 319 grant $400,000

Purpose: This research will demonstrate the effectiveness of a new stormwater treatment system developed specifically for capturing dissolved phosphorus and heavy metals from roadway runoff.

• Fulda Phosphorus Reduction Initiative - 2011

Sponsor: Heron Lake Watershed District

Contact: Jan Voit, 507-793-2462, jan.voit@mysmbs.com

Funding source: EPA 319 grant $12,600

Purpose: Through this effort, project sponsors will conduct a rain garden demonstration project to work with the community to address pollution concerns. This will be done by providing educational opportunities with the community to address pollution concerns. This will be done by providing education opportunities for students and the community to learn about native vegetation, water quality improvement, pollution reduction, and environmentally-friendly landscaping. This project will provide opportunities for students to learn about the importance of water quality improvemetn and how they can play a part in pollution reduction efforts.

• Sand Creek Stormwater Retrofit Project-2011

Sponsor: Coon Creek Watershed District

Contact: Tim Kelly, 763-755-0975, tkelly@cooncreekwd.org

Funding Source: Clean Water Partnership $83,650

Purpose: Installation of two of the four most cost-effective projects to reduce phosphorus, total suspended solids and stormwater runoff volumes in Sand Creek. The two BMPs installed were a new stormwater pond and a network of nine strategically placed curb cut rain garden retrofits. Estimated eighty percent reduction of TSS and fifty percent reduction of total phosphorus and six percent reduction of volume.

• Assessing Iron Enhanced Filtration Trenches-2011

Sponsor: City of Prior Lake

Contact: Pete Young, 952-447-9831, pyoung@cityofpriorlake.com

Funding Source: Federal 319 grant, $ 240,000

Purpose: Quantify the performance of full-scale, field installed, iron-enhanced filtration trenches which will provide critical design, construction and performance information for a practice that could be used to significantly reduce the dissolved phosphorus load entering wetlands, rivers, and lakes in Minnesota. This project will investigate the design of a new treatment system that utilizes a sand filter enhanced with iron shavings or steel wool around the perimeter and near the outlet of a wet detention basin.