MN HF4213

Appropriates $500,000 in fiscal year 2021 from the general fund to the commissioner of agriculture for a grant to the Red River Basin Commission to develop a phosphorous water quality plan for the Red River of the North.

The appropriation is a one-time allocation available until December 31, 2024, and the commission may contract with outside experts or academic institutions.

The plan must address water quality targets for phosphorous loading, allocate phosphorus between point and nonpoint sources, and identify cost-effective implementation strategies to reduce nutrients.

The Red River Basin Commission must work with an advisory group including representatives from the Minnesota Agricultural Water Resource Center, the Red River Watershed Management Board, agricultural groups, watershed districts, and cities in the Red River basin, and may coordinate with similar organizations from North Dakota, South Dakota, and Manitoba.

The commission must submit annual progress reports by December 31 each year and deliver the final plan to legislative committees with jurisdiction over agriculture policy and finance by December 31, 2024.