Minnesota's Impaired Waters and TMDLs
TMDL Project: Lake Winona — Excess Nutrients
Background
Lake Winona is located in west central Minnesota within the city limits of Alexandria. It has a watershed of 1432 acres and a surface area of 216 acres, a maximum depth of 10 feet and an average depth of 4 feet. The dominant land use within the watershed is urban, suburban. It is the first in a chain of lakes locally referred to as Agnes Henry Winona (AHW). Movement of flow through the AHW chain is from south to north, beginning at the Alexandria Lake Area Sanitary District (ALASD) wastewater treatment facility at the south end of Lake Winona. The chain of lakes drains north through Lake Le Homme Dieu, and Lake Carlos which discharges into the Long Prairie River. Lake Winona is located within the North Central Hardwoods Ecoregion.
The lake is listed as an impaired due to excess nutrients, particularly phosphorus. The lake receives the treated effluent from the ALASD and that discharge has been documented to be a primary source of both flow and nutrients to the lake. Lake Winona also receives stormwater runoff from the City of Alexandria and other non point urban runoff outside of Alexandria’s municipal boundaries.
ALASD has conducted an ongoing lake monitoring program of Lake Winona and Lakes Agnes, Henry, and Le Homme Dieu since the late 1970’s. An advisory group of stakeholders (representing city, county and state agencies and departments, ALASD, and local residents) has been formed to help review and inform the Lake Winona TMDL project.
Map and location
Lake Winona is located in the City of Alexandria in Douglas County in north central Minnesota, within the Upper Mississippi River basin.
TMDL report and implementation plan
The Lake Winona TMDL is in Phase II which consists of monitoring to fill data gaps. The TMDL report is scheduled to be completed under Phase III of the project and public noticed late in 2009. The implementation plan will also be completed under Phase III of the project and should be finished late in 2009
Other documents
Lake Winona TMDL schedule- Lake Winona TMDL Phase I Report
- Lake Winona TMDL Phase II Work Plan
- Lake Winona Site Specific Standard (wq-iw8-32h)
- Public Notice amended public notice open for comment May 30, 2011 – August 15, 2011
- Due to the State Government shutdown, the public comment period has been extended to August 15, 2011
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
Jim Courneya, Project Manager
714 Lake Avenue
Detroit Lakes, MN 56501
218-846-0735
jim.courneya@state.mn.us