Contact: Forrest Peterson, 320-441-6972
Marshall, Minn. — Reports addressing water pollution in sections of the Cottonwood River and Redwood River are available for public comment from April 25 to 4:30 p.m. on May 25. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has placed these sections on the state’s impaired waters list for exceeding the water quality standard for fecal coliform bacteria.
The 1,313-square-mile Cottonwood River watershed drains sections of Lyon, Murray, Cottonwood, Redwood and Brown counties. Land use is primarily agricultural, accounting for about 88 percent of the available acres. Artificial drainage to remove ponded water from flat and depressional areas is extensive.
The Redwood River flows into the Minnesota River near Redwood Falls in southwestern Minnesota. Eight municipal wastewater-treatment plants in the watershed service nearly 16,000 people. Agriculture accounts for about 85 percent of land use in the 705-square-mile watershed.
Most bacteria are beneficial, serving as food for larger organisms and playing critical roles in biogeochemical cycles, such as organic matter decomposition, fixation of nitrogen, and digestion of food. However, about 10 percent are harmful and referred to as “pathogens.” These bacteria, if ingested by humans, can cause sickness or even death. Sources of bacteria include failing septic systems, wastewater-treatment plant bypasses and flushes, livestock manure from feedlots and land application, and stormwater from cities and commercial areas. Domestic pets and wildlife are lesser possible sources.
These Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) reports are 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 receiving public comments, the MPCA may revise the draft Cottonwood River and Redwood River TMDL reports before submitting them to the EPA. Following EPA approval, plans will be developed to reduce bacterial pollution in the rivers.
The Cottonwood River and Redwood River draft TMDL reports for fecal coliform bacteria will be available on the web soon at www.pca.state.mn.us/gp0r9ab and www.pca.state.mn.us/qzqh9ca, or at the MPCA Marshall office, 504 Fairgrounds Road. Comments may be submitted to Mark Hanson, MPCA, 504 Fairgrounds Road, Marshall, MN 56258, or e-mailed to mark.hanson@state.mn.us. For more information, call Hanson at 507-476-4259. Additional information can also be provided by Doug Goodrich, Redwood-Cottonwood Rivers Control Area, phone 507-637-2142, email douglas.goodrich@racgroup.net, or visit www.rcrca.com/.
Written comments must include (1) a statement of your interest in the draft TMDL report; (2) a statement of the action you wish the MPCA to take, including specific references to sections of the draft TMDL that you believe should be changed; and (3) specific reasons supporting your position.
More information on the state’s impaired waters list is available online at www.pca.state.mn.us/water/tmdl/index.html or by calling toll-free 800-657-3864.
