​Wetlands 

​Minnesota’s wetlands provide critical habitat for plants, animals, and bird species.  Wetlands also provide natural flood protection, recharge groundwater, and purify surface water across our state. To protect these important natural resources, in 1991 the state legislature passed the Minnesota Wetland Conservation Act, also known as WCA. This law and its accompanying regulations help to protect Minnesota’s wetlands, helping to achieve no net loss of remaining wetlands. In the past wetlands were lost to farming, development, logging, and other land disturbance.  Today those who propose to impact wetlands must take steps to limit those impacts and repair or replace wetlands that are filled or otherwise damaged. 

Under WCA, day to day management of wetland impacts falls to the relevant Local Government Unit (LGU), which can be a city, county, or watershed. The state Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) has oversight of WCA for Minnesota. 

Certain wetlands ("Waters of the US" and "navigable waters") fall under the jurisdiction of the US Army Corps of Engineers and have additional requirements.


Learn more:
Wetlands Maps | Minnesota DNR
Wetlands Mapper | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
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