Minnesota's Impaired Waters and TMDLs
TMDL Project: Spring Lake-Upper Prior Lake - Excess Nutrients
Background
Prior Lake and Spring Lake have been identified for impairment of aquatic recreation (swimming) due to excess nutrients (phosphorus). As a result they have been placed on Minnesota’s 303(d) list of impaired waters since 2002. Because of the exceedance, the Watershed District conducted a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study. A TMDL is defined as the maximum quantity of a pollutant that a water body can receive and continue to meet water quality standards for designated beneficial uses. The Spring Lake-Upper Prior Lake watershed is a developing watershed, with a 2000 Census population of about 25,000.
Map and location
Spring and Upper Prior Lakes are located in the Minnesota River Basin, North Central Hardwood Forest ecoregion in the southwestern suburban Twin Cities metropolitan area. The lakes are located in the City of Prior Lake and Spring Lake Township while the drainage area includes portions of Sand Creek Township. The tributary area to Upper Prior Lake is about 16,000 acres, or about sixty percent of the Prior Lake - Spring Lake Watershed District. Spring Lake is connected via a natural channel to Upper Prior Lake which discharges to Lower Prior Lake which outlets via a channel to the Minnesota River.
Prior Lake-Spring Lake Watershed District mapTMDL report and implementation plan
-
Fact Sheet (wq-iw7-26a) - Final TMDL Report (wq-iw7-26e)
- EPA Approval Letter (September 14, 2011) (wq-iw7-26g)
- TMDL Implementation Plan (wq-iw7-26c)
Other documents
None.
Meetings and events
See the TMDL Meetings, Events and News page for notices of general interest and event-related information on impaired waters/TMDLs.
Links
Information contact
Chris Zadak, Project Manager
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
520 Lafayette Rd N
St. Paul, MN 55155
651-757-2837
Chris.Zadak@state.mn.us