Water Policy in Minnesota

This book is intended for people who are interested in innovative approaches to water policy at the state level. Minnesota has a unique role in US water policy. Hydrologically, it is a state with more than 12,000 lakes, an inland sea (and more coastline than Hawaii, California and Florida combined), and the headwaters of three major river systems: the St Lawrence, the Red River of the North, and the Mississippi. Institutionally, Minnesota is also unique. All U.S. states use Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) approaches to addressing impaired waters. Every TMDL requires a substantial investment of resources, including data collection, modeling, stakeholder input and analysis, a watershed management plan, as well as process and impact monitoring. Minnesota is the only state in the union that has passed legislation (the 2007 Clean Water Legacy Act) providing significant resources to support the TMDL process. Scholars and students of water policy will find the text useful in their work. The book will also be useful to policymakers (e.g., legislative aides) and decisionmakers (e.g., agency staff) who are interested in learning about alternative approaches to water management. Non-governmental organizations interested in stimulating effective water quality policy will also find helpful lessons. Finally, there are similarities between the lessons learned in Minnesota and the goals of water policy in several other nations, where there are competing uses of water for households, agriculture, recreation, and navigation.

K. William Easter has worked on the economics of a wide range of water resource problems internationally and domestically for almost 50 years. He is currently professor of applied economics at the University of Minnesota. Jim Perry has been an active water resource professional for more than 40 years and is currently professor in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at the University of Minnesota.