The Environmental Quality Board is charged with coordinating state water resource management activities. It is responsible for developing the state water plan, a state water monitoring plan, biennial water policy and priorities reports, and biennial reports on trends in water quality and availability and research needs.
Ongoing projects and studies
Minnesota River integrated watershed, water quality and ecosystem restoration study: The Environmental Quality Board co-chairs this federal – state study to provide the river community with new tools for understanding how local water and land use choices affect the basin.
Completed projects and studies
Water Availability Technical Team
Minnesota Water Research Digital Library
Interagency water monitoring technical workgroup: An interagency group of water monitoring technical experts meets on a regular basis to ensure efficiency and interagency coordination.
Groundwater technical workgroup: DNR led a team of expert hydrologists to evaluate tools for sustainability. (Project record) Managing for water sustainability: report of the EQB Water Availability project: Calls for important new steps to protect the state’s water supplies, December 11, 2008. (1.1 M, PDF) | Report details
Water availability project: Environmental Quality Board sets course for water sustainability.
Clean Water Cabinet: Governor Tim Pawlenty established the Clean Water Cabinet in 2003. Its purpose was to coordinate and facilitate state efforts to protect Minnesota’s waters. A committee of the Environmental Quality Board, the cabinet helped the board address its water authorities. EQB staff supported the committee by providing technical support, documenting discussions on key water issues, capturing important activities of the cabinet in issues of the On the Waterfront, and designing and maintaining the cabinet’s web site. The cabinet, in turn, provided the forum through which EQB coordinated state actions and plans for identifying and addressing Minnesota’s priority water needs.
5-Year Water Policy Report: Minnesota Statutes directs the Environmental Quality Board to coordinate state water programs and develop a biennial water policy and priorities report.
State water plan: The Environmental Quality Board is charged with initiating, coordinating, and developing a comprehensive long-range water resources planning report, to be completed every 10 years. More information can be found on our Water page.