Minnesota Legislature
Water management provisions added to drainage law
By Charley Shaw
Sponsored by Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL-South St. Paul) and Sen. Dan Sparks (DFL-Austin), a new law, effective Aug. 1, 2014, adopts recommendations from the Drainage Work Group. In establishing drainage projects, drainage authorities must now consider alternative water management measures, including:
- conserving, allocating and using drainage waters for agriculture, stream flow augmentation or other beneficial uses;
- reducing downstream peak flows and flooding;
- providing adequate drainage system capacity;
- reducing erosion and sedimentation; and
- protecting or improving water quality.
In planning new or making repairs to drainage systems, the new law directs drainage authorities to seek external sources of funding to facilitate the alternative water management measures.
HF2571/SF2221*/CH164
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