Water Policy

The Citizens League is advancing water policy based on our 2009 report To the Source. We call for a stronger role for the public -- individual citizens, farmers, businesses, and other organizations -- in collaboration with state and local governments in order to address the kinds of water policy challenges Minnesota faces today.

duck.gifMinnesota's Polluted Waters
40% of the lakes and rivers in Minnesota that have been evaluated have been found to be "impaired," or polluted to the extent that they do not meet the state's water quality standards.

Unlike in the past, most of this is coming from nonpoint source pollution: runoff from roads, roofs, parking lots, and farms. Pollutants from our activities on the land -- such as lawn fertilizers and motor oils -- are washed away by rain and snowmelt and eventually find their way into water bodies.

Our governance system for dealing with water pollution, though, has been set up primarily to address point source polluters, such as industrial discharges and wastewater treatment facilities.

Water Policy and Nonpoint Source Pollution
We need to change the way Minnesota governs to deal with the more diffuse sources of water pollution that are the biggest threat to water quality today.

Government alone will never have enough money or staff resources to address such widespread issues as nonpoint source pollution. Rather, the public should be engaged as problem solvers. The public must be brought more fully into water governance in a way that allows them to see their particular interest as part of the larger solution

Recommendations
The Water Policy Study Committee developed three recommendations to move the state towards a more collaborative governance system:

  1. Build a collaborative model of governance that promotes the roles of those who contribute to water problems to likewise contribute to solutions.

    The public must be deeply and authentically involved in the many aspects of water management: framing the issues, devising solutions, and working collaboratively with all stakeholders to address the challenges. This will require changing both the actions and decisions that affect water resources and the processes for public collaboration with government.

    Achieving this collaborative model of governance will require a period of exploration and creation to discover what types of programs and processes are effective. To advance this recommendation, we should experiment with various processes for collaboration, some focused on changing behaviors around water resources and others on public engagement with government, to discover -- and demonstrate -- what works. Voluntary certification programs, like what Minnesota has in the forest industry, and ideas from the Wisconsin Buffer Initiative are potential models.

  2. Redesign government roles and responsibilities to promote this collaborative model with the public and among government entities.

    At the state level, government should:
    • Lead an effort that engages the public and local governments to determine long-term priorities for water policy in Minnesota.
    • Develop measurable benchmarks to track progress towards these priorities, ensuring that accountability for progress on each priority area is clear.
    • Strengthen coordination among state agencies and between state and local units of government.
    • Support local governments by providing data and tools that can be used by those implementing policies at the local level and highlighting local government successes.
    At the local level, government should:
    • Work on the ground to implement policies set at the state level, including by
    • Building the capacity of local residents, businesses, and organizations to address water issues.

    To advance this recommendation, we should next bring together those people who will be responsible for accomplishing these ends -- lawmakers and professionals in state and local government -- to determine the most effective means.

  3. Create a single online water resource information hub to provide data and analysis on the status and trends of Minnesota's waters in a manner that is accessible and useful to the public, professionals, and water policy decision makers.

    To advance this recommendation, we should bring together people from government organizations, research institutions, and the public to determine more specifically how to best design this resource.

Resources

Citizens League staff and members are currently exploring options for advancement with partners in government, business, and nonprofits. Anyone interested in working in these efforts should contact Annie Levenson-Falk at alevensonfalk[at]citizensleague.org.