The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources is accepting applications for its 2026 Water Quality and Storage Program.
Donor Name: Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources
State: Minnesota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 12/23/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Water Quality and Storage Program grants will establish storage practices in Minnesota with priority given to practices in the Minnesota River basin and the Lower Mississippi River basin in Minnesota. Practices must control water rates and/or volumes to protect infrastructure, improve water quality and related public benefits, and mitigate climate change impacts.
Funding Priorities
- Final Design and Construction Grants
- Project is located in the Minnesota River basin or the Lower Mississippi River basin in Minnesota
- The applicant shows they are taking a comprehensive approach to flow reduction in the watershed, by implementing soil health or other conservation practices.
- Practices that show higher levels of flood protection, improvement of water quality, etc.
- Practices that demonstrate reduction in flood potential, improvement of water quality, AND mitigation for climate change.
- Evidence of project installment readiness, which may include local letters of intent from government partners, evidence of support from willing landowners, and permitting agencies have been consulted regarding project permitability.
- Modeling and Conceptual Design Grants.
- Project is located in the Minnesota River basin or the Lower Mississippi River basin in Minnesota
- Modeling efforts that will evaluate reduction in flood potential, improvement of water quality, AND mitigation for climate change.
- Evidence of project installment readiness, which may include local letters of intent from government partners, evidence of support from willing landowners, and permitting agencies have been consulted regarding project permitability.
Funding Information
There is $4.5 Million available for this application period, with up to $500,000 to be used for the modeling and conceptual design projects.
Eligible Activities
- Final Design and Construction Grants
- Eligible activities must result in a reduction to peak flow rates and/or volumes to demonstrate a decrease in downstream flooding, improvement of water quality or related public benefits, or to mitigate climate change impacts. Grants may include any number of practices, but the practices cumulatively must reduce the hydrograph peak at an area of interest. The area of interest must be identified at the time of application and an explanation provided of the flooding issues, water quality concerns, or climate vulnerabilities at that location. Pre-project and post-project runoff hydrographs must be provided to quantify the reduction in peak flow rate and/or volume. Presence of any public drainage systems near the proposed project must be identified on a map and included with the application.
- Examples of eligible practices include, but are not limited to:
- Ponds without permanent pools
- Ponds with permanent pools
- Water and Sediment Control Basins
- Wetland Construction or Restorations
- Improvements or retrofits of existing storage areas to increase storage capacity or retention time.
- Modeling and Conceptual Design Grants
- Eligible activities include the modeling of a stream or drainage system and conceptual design of the subsequently selected projects or practices within the modeled watershed. The intent of the proposed sites must be to reduce flooding, improve water quality, or mitigate climate change impacts and they must decrease the peak flow rate of the runoff hydrograph at an area of interest. The area of interest must be identified at the time of application and an explanation provided of the flooding, water quality, or climate vulnerabilities at that location.
- Eligible activities include outreach, modeling, grant management, and administration. Technical and engineering assistance necessary for conceptual design of these practices is essential and may be included in the project cost.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants include municipalities, towns, counties, soil and water conservation districts, watershed districts, or organizations formed for the joint exercise of powers, as defined under section 103B.305, subdivision 5, and includes Tribal Governments. LGU applicants must have a State approved and locally adopted local water management plan, comprehensive watershed management plan, watershed district plan, or soil and water conservation district (SWCD) comprehensive plan.
For more information, visit BWSR.
