Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contact: Forrest Peterson, (320) 214-3789 Marshall, Minn. -- A public comment period for a report on water pollution in the West Fork Des Moines River and Heron Lake begins Aug. 11 and continues through Sept. 10. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) report sets a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) of pollutants that these waters can carry and still meet water-quality standards. It addresses 33 water-quality impairments in sections of the West Fork Des Moines River and its tributaries caused by fecal coliform bacteria and turbidity, excess nutrients in North Heron Lake and South Heron Lake, and acidity in the Heron Lake outlet. The West Fork Des Moines River watershed covers 1,333 square miles across seven counties in southwestern Minnesota: all of Murray, Cottonwood, Jackson and Nobles counties as well as small portions of Pipestone, Lyon and Martin counties. Pollution from fecal coliform bacteria, turbidity, excess nutrients and pH (whether the water is acidic or alkaline) affect aquatic life and recreation, and are related to land use. Fecal coliform bacteria can affect human health and limit recreational use of the water. Primary sources of fecal coliform bacteria are livestock on overgrazed pasture, surface-applied manure on cropland, feedlots lacking adequate runoff controls, and failing septic systems. Turbidity, a measure of cloudiness of water, affects aquatic life. The primary sources of turbidity are stream bank slumping, loss of soil from row cropland, and nutrients contributing to algal growth. Excess nutrients, such as phosphorus, can cause algal blooms that inhibit swimming and boating. The Heron Lake outlet is listed as impaired for high pH, most likely attributable to excessive algae caused by excess phosphorus in North and South Heron lakes. The TMDL report is part of a nationwide effort under the federal Clean Water Act to identify and clean up pollution in streams, rivers and lakes. Every two years, states are required to submit a list of impaired waters to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A TMDL report is a scientific study that calculates the maximum amount of a pollutant a water body can receive (known as the "loading capacity") without exceeding water-quality standards. After any revisions and EPA approval of the report, a plan will be developed to reduce the pollutants causing the impairments. Comments on the report may be submitted to Chris Zadak, MPCA, 520 Lafayette Rd. N., Saint Paul, MN 55155. For more information, call Zadak at (651) 297-8613 or Kelli Daberkow at (507) 537-6497, or call either of them at (800) 657-3864. Cottonwood County Environmental Services and Heron Lake Watershed District are assisting with the project. The draft report is available on the Web at www.pca.state.mn.us/water/tmdl/index.html or at the MPCA Marshall office, 1420 E. College Dr., Suite 900. Written comments must include a statement of your interest in the draft TMDL report; a statement of the action you want the MPCA to take, including specific references to sections of the draft TMDL that you believe should be changed; and specific reasons supporting your position.