The Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certification Program is designed to accelerate voluntary adoption of agricultural practices that enhance water quality. It is the product of a state-federal partnership that includes the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR), the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The first step of the program is a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on January 17, 2012, by Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. The MOU document formalizes the state-federal partnership and confirms the joint commitment to developing and implementing the program.
As a leading agricultural state with more surface waters than any other of the 48 contiguous states and an abundance of clean drinking water, Minnesota is committed to helping farmers, homeowners, and industry protect these water resources.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is responsible for or involved in many water quality programs and initiatives. These include but are not limited to the following:
- Agricultural Best Management Practices Loan Program. A low interest loan program run by the MDA that helps finance water quality practices.
- Minnesota Clean Water Legacy Act. The MDA currently oversees several research and other projects aimed at making cleanup efforts more effective.
- Comprehensive Groundwater Protection Act of 1989. The MDA regulates most matters relating to pesticides and fertilizers.
Browse this page to learn more about these and other MDA programs and resources that help farmers and others protect and preserve Minnesota water resources. |
