MN HF3502

Appropriates $310,000 in fiscal year 2011 to the Pollution Control Agency for continued water quality rulemaking, establishing standards for total nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen.

Appropriates $5,000,000 in fiscal year 2011 to the Department of Natural Resources to establish a groundwater monitoring network in the 11-county metropolitan area and develop an automated data system for aquifer characteristics, water levels, and water quality trends.

Appropriates $1,615,000 in fiscal year 2011 to the Board of Water and Soil Resources for riparian buffer easements, watershed management grants, wellhead protection, and the Star Lake Board for Minnesota Star Lake/River designations.

Establishes water use permit processing fees based on annual water appropriation amounts, ranging from $140 for amounts not exceeding 50 million gallons per year to $8 per 1,000,000 gallons for amounts exceeding 500 million gallons per year; creates a water monitoring fee of $0.008 cents per gallon for groundwater use in 10 specified counties from January 1, 2010 through June 30, 2015.

Creates a metropolitan area groundwater monitoring account in the natural resources fund to receive water monitoring fees and support groundwater monitoring, well installation and maintenance, data analysis, and management systems in the 11-county metropolitan area.