River Watch program appropriation

This bill appropriates $150,000 for fiscal year 2026 and $150,000 for fiscal year 2027 from the clean water fund to expand the River Watch program. The funds will support Friends of the Minnesota Valley in enhancing school-based water-quality monitoring in the Minnesota River basin and launching a similar program in the Cannon River basin through a partnership with Clean River Partners. The organization must submit a detailed report on fund usage by February 15, 2027, to the Pollution Control Agency and relevant legislative committees. This directly affects schools and communities in those river basins by increasing local environmental monitoring capacity.