Financial assistance, resources and tools to help you take action for healthy water resources in your neighborhood, city, watershed, and beyond.
The Chloride Reduction Grant program offers financial support and resources for businesses and local government units for tools and practices which reduce, directly or indirectly, chloride usage by that organization. Some examples include pavement temperature sensors which would allow for more effective chloride application or outfitting currently owned trucks with new segmented plow blades in order to reduce chemical removal of snow and ice.
These are cost-share grants. That means that the watershed district covers part of the project cost, and the award recipient covers part. The grant amount is up to $20,000 max, and up to 75% of the project cost.
Entities applying for Chloride Reduction Grant must be currently Smart Salting certified through Fortin and the MPCA. Certification must be earned or proven before funds are released. Entities must operate within Bloomington, Chanhassen, Chaska, Edina, Eden Prairie, Deephaven, Hopkins, Minnetonka, Shorewood and Richfield.
Applications are closed
Join a community of stewards who are changing norms and building the future of clean water. Financial assistance, resources and tools to help you take action for healthy water resources in your neighborhood, city, watershed, and beyond.
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
*Applicants are required to maintain their projects for the 10 years as specified in the “Maintenance” section of your grant agreement.
The Chloride Reduction Grant program funds practices that:
Projects are also evaluated on whether they:
Projects must demonstrate an improvement over existing conditions for water quality.
Applications accepted until October 31, 2022. Projects must be completed by November 30, 2022. Reimbursement requests for grant funds must be submitted by December 20, 2022.
The Chloride Reduction Grant funds physical water resource improvement and protection practices (best management practices, abbreviated as BMP) that have quantifiable benefits to water quality via chloride reduction. Examples of projects include:
Applications are reviewed by the members of the Lower Minnesota Collaborative. Projects are evaluated for how well they address the program outcomes below. Highly technical or complicated projects may be referred to the Collaborative chloride technical panel for review and recommendation.
The applicant will submit a project summary report to RPBCWD within 30 days of completing the project. Update reports will be submitted at 1, 3 and 5 years. Additional reporting will be required after year 9 for projects receiving more than $10,000.
Project installation must be completed within one year of the agreement being signed. If unforeseen circumstances delay a project, the participant can request an extension in writing.
Reimbursement is made after completion of the project. The participant must document completion. Applicants must provide copies of paid invoices and receipts for all costs and reasonable documentation of labor hours contributed. Claimed expenses will be verified by RPBCWD as reasonable.
These pieces are less exciting than everything above, but they are important to understand. Please read through carefully. Make note of anything you have questions about and contact us.
Key points: Don’t spend money until your project is approved. Things that are pretty, but not functional, are not covered. You can count the work you do. Maintenance isn’t covered.
Key points: You need to sign a grant agreement and stick to it.
Key points: You need to take care of your project. If you don’t, we can ask for the grant money back.
Key points: Your application is public data.
Key points: You need to install what you agreed to install in order to be reimbursed.