Legislation would strip funding authority from watershed districts

Watershed districts would be undermined in promoting clean water under new legislation proposed in the Minnesota House and Senate.

The House bill (HF 880, introduced in the House by Rep. Bob Dettmer) and its Senate companion (SF 266, introduced by Sen. Ray Vandeveer) would require county approval of watershed district budgets from all counties located either whole or in part within watershed district boundaries.

This presents a number of potentially serious consequences. Most importantly, it would strip watershed districts of the ability to levy funds for clean water projects independent of local politics. For those watersheds that cross multiple county boundaries, such as the Red Lake Watershed Districts 10 counties, passage of this bill could lock watershed budgets in local political stalemates indefinitely, making the important work of the watershed districts impossible to implement.

It is the position of FMR that Watershed Districts must remain autonomous to maximize their effectiveness in the communities they serve and work to serve the public throughout the entire watershed. Watershed Districts were designed as a special purpose local unit of government autonomous from city or county control to overcome gridlock over water management where multiple local governments are involved.

FMR has joined the Metro Association of Watershed Districts and a number of clean water groups in opposing this legislation.

More information about this bill, including important talking points related to this legislation, is available at the Metro Association of Watershed Districts website.