Contact: Cathy Rofshus, 507-206-2608
Rochester, Minn. — The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) invites comments on a draft report concerning the water quality of 17 stream sections in the Zumbro River Watershed in southeastern Minnesota. Comments will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 23.
Interested persons may attend a public meeting on the report at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17, at the Cascade Meadow Wetlands and Environmental Science Center, 2900 19th St. N.W., in Rochester. The meeting is being hosted by the Zumbro Watershed Partnership.
The 17 stream sections suffer from excess turbidity, meaning the water may be too cloudy to support aquatic life such as fish.
The Zumbro River Watershed ― consisting of land that drains to the three forks of the Zumbro River -― encompasses more than 900,000 acres of agricultural and urban lands. This land area is diverse, ranging from deep, fertile soils to steep slopes and blufflands. It includes parts of Olmsted, Dodge, Goodhue, Rice, Wabasha and Steele counties, including the growing city of Rochester.
The streams include parts of the Zumbro River and its tributaries: Cascade, Dodge Center, Milliken, Silver and Willow creeks and an unnamed stream sometimes called King’s Run.
These streams are turbid because of sediment (soil and other matter) eroding from land along the streams without sufficient plants to hold soil, streams converted to channels for drainage, and stream and river reaches affected by upstream impervious surfaces, such as pavement, roofs and roads.
For the streams to meet state water quality standards, the amount of sediment entering the streams must be reduced and aquatic habitat improved. The report recommends a number of practices to reduce erosion and runoff to reduce sediment loads, including conservation tillage, permanently vegetated areas along streams, and urban runoff controls.
This report, known as a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) report, is part of a nationwide effort to clean up pollution in lakes and streams. The purpose of the report is to examine impaired water bodies, identify the sources of the problem, and specify changes needed to return conditions to an acceptable level. After reviewing comments from the public and obtaining approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the MPCA and local organizations will develop a plan for improving the clarity of the streams.
The draft report may be viewed at /pyri991. For more information or to submit comments, contact Justin Watkins (Justin.Watkins@state.mn.us, phone 507-206-2621, fax 507-280-5513), MPCA, 18 Wood Lake Drive S.E., Rochester, MN 55904. Written comments must be received at the MPCA office by 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 23. They must include an explanation of the commenter’s interest in the TMDL report, a clear statement of any recommended changes (including references to specific sections of the TMDL), and specific reasons for any proposed changes.
To learn more about the Zumbro River Watershed, visit the MPCA’s website.
