Minnesota's Impaired Waters and TMDLs
Background
The Groundhouse River is located in east-central Minnesota in the Snake River watershed (Cataloguing Unit 07030004). The majority of the Groundhouse River watershed is located in Kanabec and Mille Lacs counties with a small area in Isanti County. The watershed has a drainage area of approximately 139 square miles.
The Groundhouse River and the South Fork Groundhouse River are on Minnesota’s draft 2008 303(d) list. The listings for the impairment of recreational use are due to high levels of fecal coliform bacteria exceeding both the monthly five-sample geometric mean standard (200 orgs/100 mL) and the standard based on individual samples (10 percent equal to or greater than 2,000 orgs/100 mL). The listings for the impairment of aquatic life were based on the results of biological monitoring which showed that Indices of Biological Integrity (IBI) ranked below acceptable levels for both fish and invertebrate communities found in similar streams in the St. Croix River Basin.
Map and location
The Groundhouse River watershed is located in Mille Lacs, Kanabec, and Isanti Counties in east-central Minnesota, within the St. Croix Basin.
TMDL report and implementation plan
Fact Sheet- Final TMDL Report (wq-iw6-02e)
- EPA Approval Letter (May 12, 2009)
- TMDL Implementation Plan (Approved by MPCA on July 15, 2009)
Other documents
- Groundhouse River Stressor Identification Report
- Groundhouse Biological Assessment Report.
Links
- St. Croix River Basin (MPCA Basin Main Page)
- Snake River Watershed Management Board
- Mille Lacs County SWCD
- Kanabec County SWCD
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- EPA Causal Analysis/Diagnosis Decision Information System (CADDIS)
Information contact
Christopher Klucas
TMDL Project Manager (St. Croix Basin)
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
520 Lafayette Rd
St. Paul, MN 55155
651-757-2498
christopher.klucas@state.mn.us