SF 1715 Minnesota Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Public waters definition modification

This bill modifies Minnesota's definition of "public waters" to clarify which water bodies require public access or management. It adds specific criteria, such as watercourses over two square miles and designated trout streams, while explicitly stating that public waters aren't determined by land ownership or historical navigability. The bill also eliminates a $1 million annual appropriation for updating the public waters inventory map (previously funded through 2032), removing the dedicated funding stream for this process. These changes directly affect landowners, local governments, and state agencies managing water resources, as they redefine which water bodies fall under public management rules.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 20, 2025 Last action Feb 20, 2025
Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
2
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Feb 20, 2025
Committee
Referred to Environment, Climate, and Legacy
upper
Feb 20, 2025
Introduced
Introduction and first reading
upper
1 primary · 4 co-sponsors

Sponsors