The Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP) is a voluntary opportunity for farmers and agricultural landowners to take the lead in implementing conservation practices that protect our water. Those who implement and maintain approved farm management practices will be certified and in turn obtain regulatory certainty for a period of ten years.
Through this program, certified producers receive:
- Regulatory certainty: certified producers are deemed to be in compliance with any new water quality rules or laws during the period of certification
- Recognition: certified producers may use their status to promote their business as protective of water quality
- Priority for technical assistance: producers seeking certification can obtain specially designated technical and financial assistance to implement practices that promote water quality
Through this program, the public receives:
- Assurance that certified producers are using conservation practices to protect Minnesota’s lakes, rivers, streams and groundwater
Visit the MAWQCP Story Map to meet some of the certified farmers from around the state who are working hard to protect and improve water quality in Minnesota. Interested in submitting your story? Contact mda.mawqcp@state.mn.us.
Partners
The MAWQCP is a comprehensive partnership that includes federal, state and local public sector entities, as well as private sector collaborations providing certification services to Minnesota’s farms.
- Clean Water Land & Legacy Amendment
- Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources
- Minnesota Department of Agriculture
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
- United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service
