Impaired Waters

The Federal Clean Water Act (CWA) requires states to adopt water-quality standards to protect waters from pollution. Such standards identify how much of a pollutant can be in the water and still allow it to meet its designated use.

The standards are set for an array of pollutants such as nutrients, bacteria, turbidity and mercury. A water body is considered impaired if it does not meet one or more of the water quality standards. In order to determine if the water body is impaired it must first be monitored and its corresponding data assessed.

TMDL Monitoring

Once enough data is collected, if a water body is determined to be impaired, it is put on a list called the 303(d) impaired water list. Once a water body is on the list, law requires the completion of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study.

TMDLs are water management plans that identify impairments to streams and lakes, identify sources of pollutant (what causes impairments), and set limits of thresholds for those pollutants in the stream or lake. Coupled with implementation plans, TMDLs are basically water quality improvement plans.

Local water management organizations are drawn to complete these studies on impaired waters because once the TMDL and implementation plan are complete, funding to implement the plan and therefore begin to clean up the water can be sought after.

Visit the MPCA website for more information.

Impaired Streams Chart

Impaired Lakes Chart

Elk River Watershed Total Maximum Daily Loads

The ERWSA began working on TMDLs for Mayhew Lake, Big Elk Lake, and the Elk River Late in 2008. Since that time the ERWSA has completed rigorous collection of water quality data to support the program, held a series of three public meetings which took place at different stages of the program, and completed a Draft TMDL Report. The ERWSA Draft TMDLs are currently being reviewed by the EPA. Upon approval they will be available for public comment or the States Registry. Both the Final TMDLs report and corresponding Implementation Plan are scheduled for completion by June 31st, 2011. Following approval, the ERWSA will seek funding for Implementation.

TMDL Implementation Meeting

TMDLs for waters remaining on the Impaired Waters list will be addressed through the Mississippi (St. Cloud) Major Watershed Restoration and Protection Projects.

Archived ERWSA TMDL Documents