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Minnesota's Impaired Waters and TMDLs

TMDL Projects and Staff Contacts

After impaired waters are listed, the MPCA organizes them into “TMDL Projects.” Each project may contain one or more waterbodies or segments of a waterbody.  A TMDL is the maximum amount of a pollutant a water body can receive without violating water quality standards, and an allocation of that amount to the pollutant’s sources.

The TMDL process identifies all sources of the pollutant and determines how much each source must reduce its contribution in order to meet the standard. The source reduction strategies form the basis of an implementation plan which must be completed within one year after the  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approves a TMDL study.

Searchable Report of All TMDL Projects

Use this report to find a specific waterbody, the status of the project it is a part of, the staff contact, schedule, and other information. 

• Report of all TMDL Projects (updated April 2009)
• Staff Contacts
  

Definitions for project status categories

Write or call the listed MPCA staff contact for further information  on a specific TMDL project:

• Restored, no TMDL:  Waterbody is again attaining water quality standards due to pollution reduction activities that corrected the problem prior to the development of any TMDL.
• Approved/Restored:  TMDL study approved by the U.S. EPA and waterbody is again attaining water quality standards due to  watershed activities to implement the TMDL.
• Approved:  TMDL study approved by the U.S. EPA and project is in implementation phase.
• Underway:  TMDL study is  in development  -- studies are initiated following MPCA approval of  a  project work plan and / or contract  and typically require 2-4 years to complete  .
• Not Underway:  TMDL study has not formally begun. 

Helpful hints:

• Use the “Find” function on the tool bar and type in the name or other identifying characteristic for which you are searching. 
• The report organizes TMDL projects into the following order:
  • Basin
  • Status in order of: restored, approved, underway, not underway
  • Alphabetical within status categories
• Note the internet links listed by project status on the top right-hand corner of the first page of this report.  These navigate to the TMDL project webpages.
• The last of these four internet links, titled: “MPCA Contact Information,” opens a separate document listing names and contact information for all of the project managers, corresponding to the names which appear in the furthest right column of the report.