Title Minnesota Statutes, Minnesota Statutes

97C.831 NAMAKAN AND SAND POINT LAKES; COMMERCIAL FISHING. § Subdivision 1.Lake whitefish, common carp, and native rough fish. Lake whitefish, common carp, and native rough fish may be taken by licensed commercial fishing operators unless otherwise changed by rule of the commissio…

97C.835 LAKE SUPERIOR COMMERCIAL FISHING. § Subdivision 1.Commercial fishing license for Lake Superior. (a) A license to fish commercially in Lake Superior shall be issued to a maximum of 25 residents. To qualify for licensing, a resident must have landed fish in the previous yea…

97C.836 LAKE SUPERIOR LAKE TROUT; EXPANDED ASSESSMENT HARVEST. The commissioner shall provide for taking of lake trout by licensed commercial operators in Lake Superior management zones MN-3 and MN-2 for expanded assessment and sale. The commissioner shall authorize expanded asse…

97C.841 APPRENTICE LICENSE. (a) A person with a commercial fishing license may list one person as an apprentice on the license. A person acting as an apprentice for a commercial fishing licensee must have an apprentice license. The commercial fishing licensee or the apprentice li…

97C.843 POSSESSION FOR COMMERCIAL NETTING. When commercial nets, seines, bags, or cribs are lawfully set and tended, incidentally taken fish not included in the license are not considered in possession if they are returned to the water or if they are tagged in accordance with sec…

97C.845 INTERFERENCE WITH COMMERCIAL FISHING. A person may not: (1) knowingly place or maintain an obstruction that will hinder, prevent, or interfere with a licensed commercial fishing operation; (2) remove fish from nets licensed under the game and fish laws; or (3) knowingly d…

97C.851 COMMERCIAL FISHING IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS; RESORT OWNERS. A license to buy or sell fish or to take fish commercially in international waters extending from Pigeon Point West to the North Dakota boundary line may not be issued to a person engaged in the business of conduc…

97C.855 UPPER AND LOWER RED LAKE AND NETT LAKE; TRANSPORTATION, SALE, AND DISPOSAL. The commissioner may, by rule, allow the transportation, sale, and disposal of fish taken within the Red Lake Indian Reservation on Upper Red Lake and Lower Red Lake and from waters within the Net…

97C.861 FISH VENDORS; REQUIREMENTS. § Subdivision 1.License required. A person may not sell fish with the use of a motor vehicle without a fish vendor's license. § Subd. 2.Misrepresenting fish. (a) A licensed fish vendor or the vendor's employee may not misrepresent a species of …

97C.865 FISH PACKERS. § Subdivision 1.License required; records. (a) A person engaged in a business providing services to a person taking fish may not prepare dressed game fish or dressed native rough fish for shipment without a fish packer's license. The fish packer must maintai…

97C.871 CRAYFISH. The commissioner may adopt rules, including record-keeping requirements, for taking, importing, buying, selling, possessing, and transporting crayfish. History: 1993 c 231 s 67

103A.001 CITATION; WATER LAW. Chapters 103A, 103B, 103C, 103D, 103E, 103F, and 103G constitute the water law of this state and may be cited as the "Water Law." History: 1990 c 391 art 1 s 1

103A.201 REGULATORY POLICY. § Subdivision 1.Policy. To conserve and use water resources of the state in the best interests of its people, and to promote the public health, safety, and welfare, it is the policy of the state that: (1) subject to existing rights, public waters are s…

103A.202 WETLAND POLICY. The legislature finds that it is in the public interest to preserve the wetlands of the state to conserve surface waters, maintain and improve water quality, preserve wildlife habitat, reduce runoff, provide for floodwater retention, reduce stream sedimen…

103A.203 HYDROPOWER POLICY. The legislature finds that: (1) the public health, safety, and welfare of the state are also promoted by the use of state waters to produce hydroelectric or hydromechanical power in a manner consistent with laws relating to dam construction, reconstruc…

103A.204 GROUNDWATER POLICY. (a) The responsibility for the protection of groundwater in Minnesota is vested in a multiagency approach to management. The following is a list of agencies and the groundwater protection areas for which the agencies are primarily responsible; the lis…

103A.205 CONSERVATION POLICY FOR RAINWATER. It is the policy of the state to promote the retention and conservation of all water precipitated from the atmosphere in the areas where it falls, as far as practicable. Except as otherwise expressly provided, all officers, departments,…

103A.207 FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT POLICY. (a) It is the policy of this state to reduce flood damages through floodplain management, stressing nonstructural measures such as floodplain zoning and floodproofing, and flood warning practices. (b) It is the policy of this state: (1) not …

103A.208 SCENIC RIVER PROTECTION POLICY. The legislature finds that certain of Minnesota's rivers and their adjacent lands possess outstanding scenic, recreational, natural, historical, scientific and similar values. It is in the interest of present and future generations to reta…

103A.209 MARGINAL, ERODIBLE LAND RETIREMENT POLICY. It is state policy to encourage the retirement of marginal, highly erodible land, particularly land adjacent to public waters and drainage systems, from crop production and to reestablish a cover of perennial vegetation. History…

103A.211 WATER LAW POLICY. The Water Law of this state is contained in many statutes that must be considered as a whole to systematically administer water policy for the public welfare. Water law that seems contradictory as applied to a specific proceeding creates a need for a fo…

103A.212 WATERSHED MANAGEMENT POLICY. The quality of life of every Minnesotan depends on water. Minnesota's rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands, and groundwater provide a foundation for drinking water and the state's recreational, municipal, commercial, industrial, agricultural, env…

103A.301 DEFINITIONS. § Subdivision 1.Applicability. The definitions in this section apply to sections 103A.301 to 103A.341. § Subd. 2.Agency. "Agency" means a state officer, board, commission, bureau, division, or agency, other than a court, exercising duty or authority under la…

103A.305 JURISDICTION. Sections 103A.301 to 103A.341 apply if the decision of an agency in a proceeding involves a question of water policy in one or more of the areas of water conservation, water pollution, preservation and management of wildlife, drainage, soil conservation, pu…

103A.311 PETITION FOR INTERVENTION. § Subdivision 1.Authority. The board may intervene in a proceeding if a petition is filed with the board for referral of a question of water policy involved in the proceeding. § Subd. 2.Petition for intervention. A petition for intervention mus…

103A.315 COURT REFERRALS. The court may refer a proceeding under its jurisdiction involving a law listed in section 103A.305 to the board by a petition of the court directed to the board. The referral may be made in original and appellate proceedings. A party to a proceeding may …

103A.321 PETITION ABATES PROCEEDING UNTIL BOARD ACTS. A petition for intervention filed with the board abates a proceeding until there is a recommendation by the board or until 60 days have passed after conclusion of hearing before the board, whichever is earlier, unless the agen…

103A.325 BOARD DECISION TO INTERVENE. After receiving a petition, the board must decide whether the petition and the record made before the agency show an important question of water policy according to rules adopted by the board. If the board decides that there is not an importa…

103A.331 HEARING AND DETERMINATION. § Subdivision 1.Hearing. After a petition is filed, the board must proceed expeditiously to hear, determine, and make its recommendations on the questions it has consented to consider. The hearings must be conducted to fully inform the board ab…

103A.335 FILING, NOTICE, AND PROCEDURE. § Subdivision 1.Notice. A consent, notice, or recommendation made by the board must be filed with the agency. The filing is notice of the board's action. The board's rules may provide for a notice, in addition to filing by mail, posting, pu…

103A.341 FINDINGS BY BOARD. Within 60 days of the close of a hearing, the board must make findings and recommendations based solely on the evidence presented at the public hearing. History: 1990 c 391 art 1 s 19; 2025 c 20 s 61

103A.401 STATEWIDE WATER INFORMATION SYSTEM. The commissioner of natural resources, in cooperation with other state agencies including the Minnesota geologic survey, shall establish and maintain a statewide water information system to gather, process, and distribute information o…

103A.403 STATEWIDE NITRATE DATA. The Environmental Quality Board shall ensure that all available data regarding the presence of nitrates in groundwater in the state that meet state standards recommended under Laws 1992, chapter 544, section 13, are integrated into the Minnesota G…

103A.405 DIRECTOR'S APPROVAL FOR FEDERAL WATER DATA AGREEMENTS. A contract or agreement may not be made by a department or agency of the state or a municipality, with the United States or an agency or department of the United States, for the collection of basic data pertaining to…

103A.411 PUMPING TEST AND DATA ACQUISITION; TRAINING PROGRAMS. The commissioner shall set up a statewide training program to provide training in the conduct of pumping tests and data acquisition programs. History: 1990 c 391 art 1 s 22

103A.43 WATER ASSESSMENTS AND REPORTS. (a) The Environmental Quality Board shall consolidate the assessments required in paragraphs (b) and (c) with the policy report in section 103A.204 and submit a single report to the house of representatives and senate committees with jurisdi…

103B.001 CITATION; WATER LAW. Chapters 103A, 103B, 103C, 103D, 103E, 103F, and 103G constitute the water law of this state and may be cited as the "Water Law." History: 1990 c 391 art 2 s 1

103B.101 BOARD OF WATER AND SOIL RESOURCES. § Subdivision 1.Membership. The Board of Water and Soil Resources is composed of 15 appointed members knowledgeable of water and soil problems and conditions within the state and five ex officio members. § Subd. 2.Voting members. (a) Th…

103B.102 LOCAL WATER MANAGEMENT; ACCOUNTABILITY AND OVERSIGHT. § Subdivision 1.Findings; improving accountability and oversight. The legislature finds that a process is needed to monitor the performance and activities of local water management entities. The process should be pree…

103B.103 EASEMENT STEWARDSHIP ACCOUNTS. § Subdivision 1.Accounts established; sources. (a) The water and soil conservation easement stewardship account and the mitigation easement stewardship account are created in the special revenue fund. The accounts consist of money credited …

103B.104 LAWNS TO LEGUMES PROGRAM. (a) The Board of Water and Soil Resources may provide financial and technical assistance to plant residential landscapes and community spaces with native vegetation and pollinator-friendly forbs and legumes to: (1) protect a diversity of pollina…

103B.105 HABITAT-FRIENDLY UTILITIES PROGRAM. (a) The Board of Water and Soil Resources may provide financial and technical assistance to promote the successful establishment of native vegetation as part of utility projects, including solar and wind projects, pipelines, and electr…

103B.106 HABITAT ENHANCEMENT LANDSCAPE PROGRAM. (a) The Board of Water and Soil Resources may provide financial and technical assistance to establish or enhance areas of diverse native vegetation to: (1) support declining populations of bees, butterflies, dragonflies, birds, and …

103B.107 COORDINATION WITH MINNESOTA BUSINESS FIRST STOP. It is the policy of this state that inquiries related to the permitting of a data center are also referred to the Minnesota Business First Stop Program administered by the Department of Employment and Economic Development …

103B.151 COORDINATING WATER RESOURCE PLANNING. § Subdivision 1.Water planning. The Environmental Quality Board shall: (1) coordinate public water resource management and regulation activities among the state agencies having jurisdiction in the area; (2) coordinate comprehensive l…

103B.155 STATE WATER AND RELATED LAND RESOURCE PLAN. The commissioner of natural resources, in cooperation with other state and federal agencies, regional development commissions, the Metropolitan Council, local governmental units, and citizens, shall prepare a statewide framewor…