Contact: Anne Moore, 218-302-6605
Duluth, Minn. – The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency invites local residents, water quality resource managers and interested others to learn more about the East Swan and St. Louis River watersheds and their water quality. The meeting will describe the MPCA’s assessments and encourage the public to join in a multi-year process to improve and protect these valuable assets.
The meeting will be held Tuesday, May 24, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.at Hibbing Community College, Lecture Hall L-10, 1515 East 25th Street, Hibbing, Minn. The agenda is as follows:
Registration 1:00 – 1:20 p.m.
Presentation overview 1:20 – 1:30
East Swan Watershed Assessment 1:30 – 2:30
Upper St. Louis River Watershed Assessment 2:30 – 3:30
Summary and wrap up 3:30 – 3:45
Open house for comments 3:45 – 4:45
Adjourn 5:00
The two watersheds were identified as assessment priorities due to the mixture of land uses and limited water quality data. Recent water quality monitoring data suggests they are impaired for nutrients and E. coli bacteria. Next steps will be to help partners develop and implement strategies that safeguard high-quality waters and restore impaired lakes, rivers and streams.
The MPCA conducts watershed assessments to identify physical and chemical conditions and other factors that affect water quality. The federal Clean Water Act requires states to adopt water quality standards to protect waters from pollution. These standards define how much of a pollutant can be in a water and still allow it to meet designated uses, such as drinking, fishing, or industrial purposes.
Questions about the public meeting should be directed to Anne Moore, MPCA Public Information Officer, at 218-302-6605 or toll-free at 1-800-657-3864.
