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issue since Minnesota gained statehood in 1858. Early water management in Minnesota consisted mainly of manipulating surface waters--mostly wetlands and small lake areas--attempting to make more land suitable for farming. Surface water was viewed as a "common enemy" and wide scale drainage was the order of the day early in the twentieth century. Wetlands were considered "undesirable wastelands." -Governor Alexander Ramsey, in an 1861 speech to the legislature, said: "From their nature and situation they [wetlands] are capable of easy reclamation. In a climate so dry as ours, we may naturally expect that lands of this class will eventually be the most valuable in the state." As settlement increased, especially along the state's rivers, floods and property damage often occurred and wetlands in floodplain areas came to be valued as storage basins. The drought cycle has greatly influenced lawmakers on drainage and wetlands issues over the years. A series of wet summers would affect the need for more drainage. In recent years, summer drought patterns have increased public concern for wetland preservation. A.2 A Brief Chronology of State Laws on Wetlands 1858 Chapter 73 allowed private corporations to be formed for the purpose of draining lands and creating water privileges. 1883 Chapter 108 allowed county commissioners to authorize the construction of ditches or water courses within the county, including the drainage of"shallow, grassy, meandered lakes under four feet in depth." 1897 Chapter 257 created a state drainage commission to "have care, custody, control and supervision of all drainage ditches in the state." It also provided the first statutory definitions of public and private waters. This law and the powers of the drainage commission were expanded by statutory amendments through 1917. 1919 Chapter 65 abolished the state drainage commission and the Department of Drainage and Waters, under the control of a commissioner, was established. 1931 The Department of Conservation was created and Drainage and Waters became a division within the new department. During the 1930s, the Depression and periods of drought, along with increased conservation concerns, halted wide-scale drainage efforts. 1947 Chapter 142 declared "all waters providing substantial public use and that are navigable in fact" to be public waters. Drainage of public waters could occur only if they were deemed "non-public," or permission was acquired from the Commissioner of Conservation. 1951 The "Save the Wetlands" program was enacted, which used federal funds (Pittman-Robertson)to acquire wetlands for state wildlife management areas. Part I -Program Overview April 1997 WCA Administration I-4