Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Media contact: Forrest Peterson, 320-214-3789 Technical contact: Muriel Runholt, 507-537-7137 St. Paul, Minn. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved a report addressing bacterial pollution in the Chippewa River, paving the way for water quality improvement projects. The report, known as a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study, was prepared and submitted last fall by the Chippewa River Watershed Project and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), and focuses on fecal coliform bacteria from animal and human waste. According to the report, improper manure application to crop land contributes the largest amount of fecal coliform bacteria to the Chippewa River. Other sources include pastures and feedlots, wildlife, unsewered communities, stormwater, and septic systems that do not work properly. Improvement project plans likely will include applying for grants under the state's Clean Water Legacy Act, says Kylene Olson, Chippewa River Watershed Project director. "We'll be seeking funds to promote better livestock pasture management such as fencing and alternative water systems," Olson says. "We'd also like to have funds for an incentive program for nutrient management." Some practices to keep fecal coliform bacteria from entering streams and lakes include better manure storage facilities; crop nutrient management plans that match manure application with crop needs; and manure application protocols that observe setbacks from waters, adds Olson. The watershed project also offers a low interest loan program for improvements to private sewage treatment systems. The Chippewa River originates in northeast Douglas County and flows about 130 miles southwest to Montevideo where it enters the Minnesota River. Its watershed covers more that 1.3 million acres including most of Pope and Swift counties, and portions of Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Stevens, Douglas, Grant and Otter Tail counties. The MPCA's 2006 report that lists the states' impaired (polluted) waters includes nine segments of the Chippewa River that fail to meet the standard for recreational use due to excessive fecal coliform. The report also references an additional river segment that has pollution levels above the water quality standard for fecal coliform bacteria, which is 200 organisms per 100 milliliters of water. Every two years, states are required to submit a list of impaired waters to the EPA. The listing of impaired waters and the TMDL reports are part of a nationwide effort, required by the federal Clean Water Act, to identify and restore polluted streams, rivers and lakes. States must determine the maximum daily amount of pollutants that a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards, and then determine the sources of the pollutants. As of 2006, Minnesota had identified 284 rivers and streams with one or more segments impaired by one or more pollutants. The MPCA is now working on the 2008 impaired waters list. The Chippewa River fecal coliform bacteria TMDL report is available for review at the:
· MPCA Marshall office, 1420 E. College Dr., Suite 900
· MPCA Willmar office, 1601 E. Highway 12, Suite 1
· MPCA Web site at www.pca.state.mn.us/water/tmdl/index.html
· Chippewa River Watershed Project office, 629 N 11th St., Suite 17, Montevideo
For more information on the report, contact Muriel Runholt, 507-537-7137, muriel.runholt@pca.state.mn.us; or Kylene Olson, 320-269-2139 ext. 116, kylene.olson@rcdnet.net.