Contact: Stephen Mikkelson, 218-316-3887
Brainerd, Minn. -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is seeking comments on a water quality improvement report for parts of the Elk River watershed in Benton and Sherburne counties. The report, known as a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), focuses on pollution caused by excess phosphorus, bacteria, and turbidity. A public comment period begins Feb. 6 and continues through March 7, 2012.
The focus of this report is on two lakes and a stretch of river within the Elk River watershed. The lakes are Mayhew Lake, about eight miles northeast of Sauk Rapids, and Big Elk Lake, just northeast of the city of Clear Lake. The river stretch is the Elk River between Big Elk Lake and the St. Francis River. Mayhew Lake and Big Elk Lake are impaired due to excess nutrients, primarily phosphorus. The Elk River is impaired due to excess turbidity and bacteria, primarily E. coli.
This is the second public comment period for this report. The original comment period was last summer, but the report was recently revised because one section did not include total phosphorus loading numbers from permitted facilities within the Big Elk Lake watershed. This prompted the MPCA to open a new 30-day public comment period.
The report indicates that the nutrient levels in Mayhew and Big Elk lakes need to be reduced by 78 and 57 percent, respectively, to meet state standards. The stretch of the Elk River addressed in the report will require a 73 percent reduction of E. coli to meet state standards. These pollutant-reduction percentages have not changed following the recent revisions to the report.
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 receiving public comments, the MPCA will revise the Elk River Watershed TMDL report and submit it to the EPA for approval. Following EPA approval of the study, a plan will be developed to reduce pollution throughout the watershed.
The Elk River Watershed TMDL draft report is available online at /0agxa04 , or at the St. Paul MPCA office, 520 Lafayette Road N. Written comments may be mailed to Phil Votruba, MPCA, 7678 College Rd, Ste. 105, Baxter, MN 56425, or sent by email to phil.votruba@state.mn.us. For more information, call Votruba at 218-316-3901, or toll-free at 800-657-3864.
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 and TMDL studies is available on the MPCA’s Impaired Waters and TMDLs webpage.
