Contact: Forrest Peterson, 320-441-6972
Marshall, Minn. — A report addressing water pollution in nine sections of the Chippewa River and tributaries is available for public comment from Sept. 24 through Oct. 24, 2012. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has placed the sections on the state’s impaired waters list for exceeding the water quality standard for turbidity.
Turbidity is caused by particles suspended or dissolved in water that scatter light making the water appear cloudy or murky. Particles can include sediment – especially clay and silt – fine organic and inorganic matter, soluble colored organic compounds, algae, and other microscopic organisms. Excessive levels of turbidity can harm aquatic life by making it more difficult for sight-feeding organisms to find food, adversely affecting gill function, and smothering food organisms and spawning habitat.
The 2,080-square-mile Chippewa River Watershed drains sections of Otter Tail, Grant, Douglas, Stevens, Pope, Swift, Kandiyohi, Chippewa counties, and a very small portion of Stearns County. Land use is dominated by agricultural cropping and is extensively drained for that purpose.
The Total Maximum Daily Load (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).
The 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 Chippewa River TMDL report prior to submitting to the EPA for approval. Following EPA approval, a plan will be developed to reduce turbidity.
The Chippewa River draft TMDL report for turbidity soon will be available on the Web, or at the MPCA Marshall office, 504 Fairgrounds Rd. Comments may be submitted to Joseph Hauger, MPCA, 504 Fairgrounds Rd., Marshall, MN, 56258, or e-mailed to joseph.hauger@state.mn.us, by 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 24, 2012. For more information, contact Hauger at 507-476-4273. Additional information can also be provided by Kylene Olson, Chippewa River Watershed Project, (320) 269-2139, ext 116 or at kylene@chippewariver.org.
Written comments must include the following:
- A statement of your interest in the draft TMDL report;
- 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
- Specific reasons supporting your position.
More information on the state’s impaired waters list and TMDL studies is available on the Web at www.pca.state.mn.us/tmdl, or by calling toll-free 1-800-657-3864.
