The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has initiated an eight-year project to update the state’s Public Waters Inventory (PWI). This comprehensive effort aims to ensure accurate mapping of lakes, wetlands, and watercourses that meet the statutory definition of public waters.
The PWI is the result of a 1979 directive for the DNR to assemble county maps and lists of water bodies in Minnesota that met the statutory definition in Minnesota Statute 103G.005, of “public waters.” The original PWI was completed in the mid-1980s. The update will incorporate modern technology to identify and correct inaccuracies, adding qualifying water bodies and removing those that no longer meet criteria.
For landowners, especially those in agriculture, the revised inventory may have implications under Minnesota’s Buffer Law, which mandates vegetative buffers along certain water bodies. The DNR emphasizes that public waters are defined by statute, not merely by their presence on the PWI, and the update seeks to reflect these legal definitions accurately.
The process and complete timeline have not been finalized, but DNR is developing a county-by-county update process that will involve technical analysis by hydrologists. Each county’s updates will include a public meeting and a chance for landowners to review and comment on proposed changes before they are finalized.
Landowners and interested parties can access detailed information, view updated maps, and submit questions via the DNR’s PWI Update Project webpage: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/waters/watermgmt_section/pwi/update.html
More information on the Buffer Mapping Project can be found at: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/buffers/index.html
Inquiries can also be directed to [email protected]