A TMDL is the maximum amount of a pollutant a body of water 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 a pollutant and determines how much each source must reduce its contribution in order to meet the standard. Once a body of water is added to the Minnesota Impaired Waters List, a TMDL must be developed for it. After impaired waters are listed, the MPCA organizes them into TMDL projects using the watershed approach.

Other resources

Draft and pending WRAPS/TMDL projects

Draft WRAPS and TMDLs go through an extensive technical review and public notice process before the WRAPS reports are approved by MPCA, and the TMDL reports are submitted to the U.S. EPA for final approval. Public comments on draft WRAPS and TMDL reports are typically accepted for 30 days. If there are substantial changes made to the draft as a result of public comment, it will be re-public noticed. EPA typically completes its review of the final draft TMDL report within 30 days of receiving it from the MPCA, but some studies may require additional time.

Approved WRAPS, TMDLs and implementation plans

This spreadsheet includes WRAPS reports and implementation plans approved by the MPCA and TMDLs approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

TMDL projects TMDL approved
(U.S. EPA)		 Implementation
plan approved
(MPCA)		 Basin
Cottonwood River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2023-01-09   Minnesota
Lower Rainy River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2022-10-12   Red River of the North
Rainy River - Headwaters Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2022-07-20   Rainy River
Wild Rice River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2022-06-29   Red River of the North
Duluth Area Beaches TMDL 2022-06-29   Lake Superior
Minnesota River Headwaters Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2022-04-18   Minnesota River
Rapid River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2022-03-23   Rainy River
Vermilion River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2022-02-04   Rainy River
Otter Tail River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2021-10-14   Red River of the North
Lac qui Parle River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2021-08-31   Minnesota River
Lake Winona Excess Nutrients TMDL 2021-07-28   Upper Mississippi River
Marsh River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2021-07-28   Red River of the North
Shell Rock River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2021-06-30   Cedar River
Upper/Lower Red Lake Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2021-06-22   Red River of the North
Lake of the Woods: Excess Nutrients TMDL 2021-06-17   Rainy River
Lake Pepin Excess Nutrients TMDL 2021-05-19   Lower Mississippi River
Sauk River Chain of Lakes TMDL 2021-05-17   Upper Mississippi River
Kettle River and Upper St. Croix River Watersheds WRAPS and TMDL 2021-04-28   St. Croix River Basin
Des Moines River Basin Watersheds WRAPS and TMDL 2021-04-01   Des Moines River
Des Moines River Headwaters Watershed River Eutrophication TMDL 2021-03-25   Des Moines River
Clearwater River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2021-02-18   Red River of the North
Roseau River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2021-01-07   Red River of the North
Mississippi River - Sartell Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2020-12-22   Upper Mississippi River
Snake River - Red River Basin Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2020-12-21   Red River of the North

Upper Mississippi River TSS TMDL

 2020-12-15   Upper Mississippi River
Duluth Urban Area Streams WRAPS and TMDL 2020-11-18   Lake Superior

Mississippi River - Brainerd Watershed WRAPS and TMDL

 2020-09-01   Upper Mississippi
Mississippi River - La Crescent Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2020-08-31   Lower Mississippi

Winnebago River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL

 2020-07-09   Cedar River

Bois de Sioux River Watershed

 2020-05-08   Red River of the North

Watonwan River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL

 2020-04-07   Minnesota River

Upper Iowa River and Mississippi River - Reno Watersheds WRAPS and TMDL

 2020-03-26   Lower Mississippi River
Lower Minnesota River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2020-03-13   Minnesota River
Lake of the Woods Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2020-03-02   Rainy River
Upper Wapsipinicon River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2020-02-24   Cedar River
Minnesota River - Mankato Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2020-02-20   Minnesota River
Minnesota River and Greater Blue Earth River Basin TMDL for TSS 2020-02-12   Minnesota River

Red Lake River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL

 2019-12-23   Red River of the North
Mississippi River - Grand Rapids Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2019-10-01   Upper Mississippi River
Two Rivers Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2019-06-27   Red River of the North
Cedar River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2019-06-24   Cedar River

Minnesota River bacteria TMDL and strategies report

 2019-06-11   Minnesota River
Crystal Lake (Blue Earth County): Excess Nutrients TMDL 2019-05-16   Minnesota River
Grand Marais Creek Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2019-05-14  

Red River of the North
South Fork Crow River Watershed 2019-05-08   Upper Mississippi River
Lower Red River - Tamarac Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2019-04-16   Red River of the North
Thief River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2019-03-28   Red River of the North
Lake Superior South Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2019-02-22   Lake Superior
Mississippi River Headwaters Watershed WRAPs and TMDL 2018-10-19   Upper Mississippi River
St. Louis River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2018-10-17   Lake Superior
Lake Superior North Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2018-09-13   Lake Superior
Big Fork Watershed 2017-12-20   Rainy River
Pine River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2017-11-14   Upper Mississippi River
Hawk Creek Watershed TMDL 2017-11-20   Minnesota River
Sandhill River Watershed 2017-06-27   Red River of the North
Pope County 8 Lakes: Excess nutrients 2017-03-01   Minnesota River
Coon Creek Watershed District 2016-09-26   Upper Mississippi River
12-Mile Creek DO TMDL (North Fork Crow River Watershed) 2016-09-26   Upper Mississippi River
Lower Minnesota River: Low Dissolved Oxygen 2004-09-28 2006-02 Minnesota River
Yellow Medicine (South Branch) TMDL: Fecal coliform bacteria 2004-09-30 2005-09-27 Minnesota River
Chippewa River: Un-ionized Ammonia 2004-10-29 2004-11 Minnesota River
Chippewa River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2017-06-07   Minnesota River
Long Prairie River Watershed: Low Dissolved Oxygen 2005-08-05 2006-01 Upper Mississippi River
Long Prairie River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2017-01-12   Upper Mississippi River
Lower Mississippi River Basin TMDL: Regional fecal coliform 2006-04-05 2007-09 Lower Mississippi River
Chippewa River TMDL: Fecal coliform 2007-01-11 2016-03-10 Minnesota River
Lower Otter Tail River TMDL: Turbidity 2007-02-12 2007-02 Red River
Shingle Creek TMDL: Chloride 2007-02-14 2007-03-05 Upper Mississippi River
Sunrise River (North Branch) TMDL: Fecal Coliform Bacteria 2007-02-22 2007-02 St. Croix River
Lake Independence TMDL: Excess nutrients 2007-02-23 2007-03 Upper Mississippi River
Carver-Bevens-Silver Creeks TMDL: Fecal coliform 2007-03-14 2007-03 Minnesota River
Statewide TMDL: Mercury Pollutant Reduction Plan 2007-03-27 2009-10 Statewide
Lower Cannon River TMDL: Turbidity 2007-07-13 2009-10-14 Lower Mississippi River
Twin and Ryan Lakes TMDL: Excess nutrients 2007-11-09 2007-11-13 Upper Mississippi River
Blue Earth River TMDL: Fecal coliform bacteria 2007-06-07 2007-11-14 Minnesota River
Pomme de Terre River TMDL: Fecal coliform bacteria 2007-12-07 2008-09-29 Minnesota River
Rock River TMDL: Fecal and Turbidity 2008-04-23 2008-10 Missouri River
Pipestone Creek TMDL: Fecal coliform bacteria and turbidity 2008-07-03 2008-09 Missouri and Des Moines River
High Island Creek - Rush River: Fecal coliform 2008-11-14 2009-07-14 Minnesota River
Burandt Lake: Excess Nutrients 2008-11-26 2009-06-09 Minnesota River
West Fork Des Moines River Watershed: Multiple impairments 2008-12-18 2009-09-22 Missouri and Des Moines Rivers
Crystal Lake (Metro): Excess nutrients 2009-03-25 2009-07-07 Upper Mississippi River
Long and Farquar Lakes: Excess nutrients (Metro) 2009-04-08 2010-06-30 Lower Mississippi River
Groundhouse River: Fecal Coliform and Impaired Biota 2009-03-12 2009-07-15 St. Croix River
Hardwood Creek: Impaired Biota, Dissolved Oxygen (Metro) 2009-06-18 2009-07-10 Upper Mississippi River
Lower Wild Rice River TMDL: Turbidity 2009-07-17 2009-10-12 Red River
Schmidt, Pomerleau, and Bass Lakes: Excess Nutrients 2009-09-25 2009-12-03 Upper Mississippi River
Vermillion River TMDL: Turbidity 2009-09-29 2011-09-14 Lower Mississippi River

Golden Lake: Excess Nutrients (Metro)

 2009-09-30 2012-07 Upper Mississippi River
Clearwater River and 6 Lakes: Bacteria and Nutrients 2010-01-26 2010-05-19 Upper Mississippi River
Kohlman Lakes: Excess Nutrients (Metro) 2010-03-23 2010-05-06 Upper Mississippi River
Meadow Lake: Excess Nutrients (Metro) 2010-03-23 2010-06-14 Upper Mississippi River
Cedar Island, Pike and Eagle Lakes: Excess Nutrients 2010-04-14 2010-05-18 Upper Mississippi River
Comfort Lake - Forest Lake TMDL: Excess Nutrients 2010-06-07 2010-06-11 St. Croix River
Mustinka River: Turbidity 2010-06-08 2010-11-30 Red River of the North
Knife River: Turbidity 2010-07-02 2011-12-09 Lake Superior
Silver Lake TMDL: Excessive Nutrients 2010-07-29 2011-05-25 Upper Mississippi River

Fish and Schwanz Lakes: Excess Nutrients (Metro)

 2010-09-09 2010-11-24 Minnesota River
Reitz Lake: Excess Nutrients (Metro) 2010-09-20 2010-09-20 Minnesota River
Clearwater River - Five Lakes Nutrients TMDL (Albion, Augusta, Caroline, Henshaw and Swartout Lakes) 2010-09-28 2010-05-19 Upper Mississippi River
Benton Lake TMDL: Excess nutrients (Metro) 2013-05-17 2013-09-16 Minnesota River
South Fork Crow River Lakes: Excess nutrients (Metro) 2010-09-28 2010-11-03 Upper Mississippi River
Magda Lake: Excess nutrients (Metro) 2010-09-30 2010-10-01 Upper Mississippi River
Wirth Lake: Excess nutrients (Metro) 2010-10-25 2010-10-25 Upper Mississippi River
Lake Margaret: Excess nutrients 2010-10-26   Upper Mississippi River
Clearwater River (UM Basin) CD #44 to Lake Betsy: Dissolved oxygen 2010-11-08 2010-05-19 Upper Mississippi River
Nemadji River Watershed 2017-08-16   Lake Superior
Nine Mile Creek: Impaired Biota, Turbidity & Chloride 2010-11-29   Minnesota River
Browns Creek: Lack of a coldwater assemblage and Impaired Biota 2010-12-21 2012-02-16 St. Croix River
Como Lake: Excess Nutrients 2010-12-23   Upper Mississippi River
Getchell, Unnamed, Stony (GUS): Turbidity 2011-02-07 2014-06-30 Upper Mississippi River
Medicine Lake: Excessive nutrients (Metro) 2011-02-08 2011-02-08 Upper Mississippi River
Minnehaha Creek Watershed Lakes: Excess nutrients (Metro) 2011-04-25   Upper Mississippi River
Lake Sarah: Excess nutrients (Metro) 2011-04-25 2011-09-16 Upper Mississippi River
Jessie Lake: Excess nutrients 2011-05-04   Rainy River
Rabbit River: Turbidity 2011-06-14   Red River
Big Sandy Area Lakes: Excess nutrients 2011-06-14 2013-05-22 Upper Mississippi River
Long and Ringo Lakes TMDL: Excess nutrients 2011-07-20   Minnesota River
Sweeney Lake: Phosphorus 2011-08-10   Upper Mississippi River
Spring Lake-Upper Prior Lake: Excess nutrients (Metro) 2011-09-14 2012-02-29 Minnesota River
Diamond Lake: Excess nutrients 2011-09-21 2011-10-11 Upper Mississippi River
Pomme de Terre River Watershed: Turbidity 2011-09-21 2011-11-23 Minnesota River
Crystal, Keller, Lee, and Earley Lakes: Excess nutrients 2011-09-30 2011-11-03 Minnesota River
Shingle and Bass Creeks: Impaired Biota & Dissolved Oxygen (Metro) 2011-11-04 2012-01-30 Upper Mississippi River
Little Rock Creek TMDL 2017-01-09   Upper Mississippi River
Little Rock Lake: Excess nutrients 2012-02-02 2013-03-14 Upper Mississippi River
Cedar and McMahon Lakes: Excess nutrients 2012-02-23 2012-06-18 Minnesota River
North Fork Crow River, Rice Lake: Excess nutrients 2012-05-07 2012-06-04 Upper Mississippi River
Ann and Emma Lakes: Excess Nutrients 2012-05-22 2012-06-19 Upper Mississippi River
Zumbro River Watershed: Turbidity 2012-05-25 2012-08-28 Lower Mississippi River
Bald Eagle Lake: Excess Nutrients (Metro) 2012-06-11 2012-06-11 Upper Mississippi River
Elk River Watershed: Multiple Impairments 2012-06-14 2012-07-10 Upper Mississippi River
Martin and Typo Lakes: Excess nutrients 2012-06-20 2012-08-08 St. Croix River
Lake St. Croix: Excess nutrients 2012-08-08 2012-10-26 St. Croix River
Carnelian Marine St. Croix 10 Lake TMDL: Excess nutrients 2012-09-18 2013-08-30 St. Croix River
Lake Shaokatan: Excess nutrients 2012-09-20   Minnesota River
Bevens Creek turbidity TMDL 2012-09-20 2013-07-24 Minnesota River
Mill Creek bacteria and Pearl Lake nutrients 2012-09-25 2014-06-30 Upper Mississippi River
Carver Creek turbidity TMDL 2012-09-26 2013-07-24 Minnesota River
Chisago Lakes: Nutrient/Eutrophication Biological Indicators 2013-02-20 2013-02-25 St. Croix River
Lac qui Parle River-Yellow Bank: Bacteria, Turbidity, and Low Dissolved Oxygen 2013-05-08 2013-06-20 Minnesota River
Goose, Hydes, Miller, and Winkler lakes TMDL: Excess nutrients (Metro) 2010-09-28 2010-11-12 Minnesota River
Ann River Watershed: Excess nutrients and impaired biota 2013-06-03 2013-07-15 St. Croix River
Lake Osakis Watershed: Excess Nutrients 2013-06-05 2014-06-30 Upper Mississippi River
Bluff Creek: Turbidity and Impaired Fish Biota (Metro) 2013-06-28 2013-07-24 Minnesota River
Deer Creek: Turbidity 2013-08-12 2014-04-01 Lake Superior
North Fork Lower Crow River: multiple impairments 2013-08-20   Upper Mississippi River
Lino Lakes Chain of Lakes: Excess Nutrients (Metro) 2013-09-27 2010-05 Upper Mississippi River
Sauk Lake (North Bay): Excess Nutrients 2013-11-13 2014-06-30 Upper Mississippi River
Sauk Lake (Southwest Bay) TMDL 2017-06-07   Upper Mississippi River
Peltier and Centerville Lakes: Excess Nutrients (Metro) 2013-11-25 2013-08 Upper Mississippi River
Buffalo Creek - South Fork Crow River: Bacteria 2013-12-03   Upper Mississippi River
Buffalo River Watershed 2017-02-16   Red River of the North
Poplar River: Turbidity 2013-12-11 2014-02-06 Lake Superior
Cottonwood River: Fecal Coliform 2014-01-08   Minnesota River
Redwood River: Fecal Coliform 2014-01-21   Minnesota River
Lura Lake: Excess Nutrients 2014-02-19   Minnesota River
Minnehaha Creek Bacteria and Lake Hiawatha Excess Nutrients (Metro) 2014-02-24   Upper Mississippi River
Snake River Watershed 2014-03-31   St. Croix River
Vadnais Lake Area WMO: TMDL and Protection Study 2014-04-03 2014-07-25 Upper Mississippi River
Sunrise Watershed TMDL: Multiple Impairments 2014-04-28   St. Croix River
Upper Minnehaha Creek Watershed Lakes and Bacteria (Metro) 2014-06-26 2014-09-12 Upper Mississippi River
Upper Cannon Lakes: Excess Nutrients (Lake Volney) 2014-09-02   Lower Mississippi River
Upper Cannon Lakes: Excess Nutrients (Jefferson-German Lake Chain) 2014-09-02   Lower Mississippi River
Chippewa River: Turbidity 2014-09-29 2016-02-29 Minnesota River
Crow Wing Watershed TMDLs: Multiple Impairments 2014-11-19   Upper Mississippi River
Upper Mississippi River: Bacteria 2014-11-20 2016-02-18 Upper Mississippi River
Lower Mississippi River WMO Watershed WRAPS/TMDL 2014-11-24   Upper Mississippi River
Rice Creek Watershed District SW Urban Lakes 2015-02-26   Upper Mississippi River
North Fork Crow River Watershed WRAPS/TMDL 2015-05-08   Upper Mississippi River
Mississippi River - St. Cloud Watershed WRAPS/TMDL 2015-05-14   Upper Mississippi River
Mississippi River - Lake Pepin Watershed WRAPS/TMDL 2015-08-18   Lower Mississippi River
Pomme de Terre River Watershed TMDL 2015-08-26   Minnesota River
Vermillion River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2015-12-21   Lower Mississippi River
Goose Creek Watershed 2016-02-05   St. Croix River
Le Sueur River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2016-03-15   Minnesota River
Eagan Lakes TMDL 2015-12-21   Minnesota River
South Metro Mississippi River TMDL (Metro) 2016-04-26   Upper Mississippi River
Twin Cities Metro Area Chloride TMDL 2016-06-09 2016-02-26 Multiple basins
Valley Branch Watershed District 2016-07-07   St. Croix River
Mississippi River - Winona Watershed 2016-07-15   Lower Mississippi River
St. Clair Lake - Otter Tail River Watershed 2016-08-04   Red River
Cannon River Watershed 2017-02-16   Lower Mississippi River
Root River Watershed 2017-02-16   Lower Mississippi River
Mustinka River Watershed 2017-03-15   Red River of the North
Redeye River Watershed 2017-03-14   Upper Mississippi River
Yellow Medicine River Watershed 2017-03-28   Minnesota River
Elm Creek Watershed 2017-06-26   Upper Mississippi River
Rum River Watershed 2017-09-26   Upper Mississippi River
Pioneer Sarah Creek Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2017-09-29   Upper Mississippi River
Miller Creek TMDL 2018-01-09   Lake Superior

Ramsey-Washington Metro WD

 2017-09-29   Upper Mississippi River

Sauk River Bacteria & Nutrient TMDL

 2017-09-26   Upper Mississippi River
Upper Red River of the North Watershed 2018-01-25   Red River
Zumbro River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2018-02-22   Lower Mississippi River
Missouri River Basin WRAPS and TMDL 2018-02-15   Missouri River
Little Fork River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL 2018-05-09   Rainy River