1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to natural resources; appropriating money from the clean water fund to 
1.3 	protect water supplies and lakes in the northeast Twin Cities metropolitan area.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. PROTECTING WATER SUPPLIES AND LAKES IN THE 
1.6 	NORTHEAST TWIN CITIES METROPOLITAN AREA; APPROPRIATIONS.
 1.7 		Subdivision 1.Northeast metropolitan area groundwater and surface water 
1.8 	interaction; data collection and analysis. $500,000 in fiscal year 2014 is appropriated 
1.9 	from the clean water fund to the Metropolitan Council for a fiscal agreement with the United 
1.10 	States Geological Survey to investigate groundwater and surface water interaction in and 
1.11 	around White Bear Lake and surrounding northeast metropolitan lakes, including seepage 
1.12 	rate determinations, water quality of groundwater and surface water, isotope analyses, 
1.13 	lake level analyses, water balance determination, and creation of a calibrated groundwater 
1.14 	flow model. This is a onetime appropriation and is available until June 30, 2016.
1.15 		Subd. 2.Engineering feasibility assessment and recommendation. $1,000,000 in 
1.16 	fiscal year 2014 is appropriated from the clean water fund to the Metropolitan Council 
1.17 	to identify potential solutions to the issue of declining lake levels in White Bear Lake 
1.18 	and surrounding northeast metropolitan lakes. The council shall contract with a private 
1.19 	engineering firm to conduct an engineering feasibility study to identify costs and benefits, 
1.20 	including capital and operations and maintenance costs, technical feasibility, and financial 
1.21 	feasibility of potential solutions. The United States Geological Survey shall conduct 
1.22 	groundwater optimization modeling as part of the engineering feasibility assessment. The 
1.23 	engineering feasibility assessment study final product must include recommendations 
2.1 	from the private engineering firm.  This is a onetime appropriation and is available until 
2.2 	June 30, 2016.
2.3 		Subd. 3.Reports. By November 15, 2015, the Metropolitan Council shall report 
2.4 	on its progress to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees 
2.5 	with jurisdiction over environment and natural resources policy and finance and provide 
2.6 	a final report by July 15, 2016.