Search

Under the federal Clean Water Act, states must designate beneficial uses for all waters and develop water quality standards to protect each use.

The MPCA plans to amend Minnesota Rules chapter 7050, which establishes beneficial uses and water quality standards to protect those uses, and designates where the uses occur in waters of the state.

Minnesota has revised state water quality standards to incorporate a tiered aquatic life use (TALU) framework for rivers and streams.

Planned amendments to Minn. Rules ch. 7050 affect the Class 1 beneficial use, which protects waters (both surface and groundwater) used as a source for domestic consumption.

The MPCA proposes to adopt the U.S. EPA's 2013 national recommended water quality criteria for ammonia as its Class 2 ammonia water quality standards for the protection of aquatic life.

Protecting and restoring water quality is one of the MPCA's core areas of focus.

Implementing water quality standards come with tangible costs and benefits. Costs such as taxes to residents, regulated parties, and communities help achieve benefits such as increased property values, tourism, and protecting human health.

The MPCA works with city and county governments, watershed districts, consultants, and others on monitoring, protecting, and restoring water quality. This is a repository of guidance and technical resources for agency partners.

The MPCA has important roles in protecting and restoring waters in degraded conditions.

Wild rice is an important part of the biological community in many Minnesota lakes, streams, and wetlands, and a cultural resource to many, particularly members of the Dakota and Ojibwe Tribal Nations in Minnesota.

State agencies, counties, municipalities, nonprofit organizations, and many others are engaged in protecting Minnesota lakes.

The MPCA studies, monitors, and regulates water pollutants to protect human health and the environment. Minnesota water quality standards strives to protect water for use, measures health of waters, and guides limits on what regulated facilities can discharge to surface waters.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is planning amendments to rules governing water quality fees (Minn. R. ch. 7002 and 7083).

Clean Water Fund dollars come from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment that Minnesotans approved in 2008.

In rules, an incorporation by reference states that the contents of another document are part of the rule, even though the text of the referenced document does not appear in the rule itself.

The MPCA 401 certification fills a unique niche in protecting water quality by applying state water quality standards to projects.

Join the celebration! We look forward to highlighting Minnesota’s clean water successes and invite you to use our 50th anniversary art and branded graphics.

Removing of an old dam and restoring a creek's curves are improving habitat and water quality in the Pomme de Terre River Watershed.

Waterways in the northeastern part of the state are generally in better condition than those in the southern, central, and western regions.

The MPCA administers programs that are governed by 45 chapters of rules. The MPCA periodically conducts a “housekeeping” rulemaking to make minor corrections and clarifications to the rules or to repeal rules that have become obsolete.