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The
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) invites comments on a report on
reducing pollutants in Lake Winona and 17 stream sections in the Mississippi
River-Winona Watershed in southeastern Minnesota. The report is open for
comment through Sept. 24, 2015.
The streams
include the Whitewater River and tributaries, many of them popular for trout
fishing and other recreation. The river and streams all flow into the
Mississippi River in the Winona area. This watershed covers 419,200 acres in
Wabasha, Winona, and Olmsted counties. The majority of land in the watershed is
used for farming.
This report
is on a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study, which determines the maximum
amount of pollutants that a water body can accept and still meet standards.
This study will help local partners decide on ways to restore Lake Winona and
streams. The study incorporated water quality data from the past 10 years,
fisheries surveys, stressor identification investigations, stakeholder input,
and other information.
The pollutants
in this case include phosphorus that causes algal blooms, bacteria that may make
water unsafe for swimming, sediment that makes water too cloudy for fish and
other aquatic life, and nitrate levels that may make water unsafe for drinking.
This area of
Minnesota is vulnerable to pollution because of its karst landscape. In karst, only
a thin layer of soil covers the porous bedrock underneath and allows pollutants
on the land to easily reach groundwater used for drinking. In a karst
landscape, where caves and sinkholes are common, streams and groundwater mix as
water moves through the bedrock.
To restore
Lake Winona to water quality standards, the report calls for a 39 percent
reduction in phosphorus for the northwest bay and a 31 percent reduction for
the southeast bay.
For the
streams to meet standards, the reductions in pollutants depend on the flow
conditions because the more flow, the higher the pollutant levels. At
mid-flows, reductions of up to 95 percent (Whitewater River, middle fork) are needed
for bacteria, up to 6 percent (Whitewater River, south fork) for nitrates, and
up to 89 percent (Rollingstone Creek) for sediment.
The fish
kill in the Whitewater River in July is not part of this study. While the fish
kill is still under investigation, it highlights the need to identify pollution
problems and take action to restore water quality.
This study
report outlines strategies to reduce pollutants, such as limits on wastewater
discharges, urban stormwater controls, feedlot runoff controls, sewer system
upgrades, and agricultural practices to reduce runoff and erosion. The TMDL
study will become part of a more detailed report called a Watershed Restoration
and Protection Strategies.
For more
information on the study or to submit written comments, contact Shaina Keseley,
MPCA project manager (email Shaina.keseley@state.mn.us, phone 507-206-2626). The study is
available on the Mississippi River – Winona page of the MPCA website.
Comments,
which must be in writing, are due by 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 24. The comments must
specify which report you are commenting on, include a statement of your interest
in the report, and the action you wish the MPCA to take, including specific
references to sections of the draft report you believe should be changed and
the reasons for making those changes.
Broadcast version
The
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is accepting comments on a report aimed at
reducing pollutants in Lake Winona, the Whitewater River, and several of its
tributaries.
The report from the
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is known as a Total Maximum Daily Load
study. This study establishes the maximum amount of a pollutant a water body
can receive on a daily basis and still meet water-quality standards. This study
of the Mississippi River-Winona Watershed focused on phosphorus, nitrates, bacteria, and
sediment pollutants.
The
report is available on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency website, at the Winona County Planning office
on Main Street in Winona, and at the Winona Soil and Water Conservation
District office in Lewiston. Written comments are due to the M-P-C-A no later than 4:30
P-M on September 24.
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The mission of the MPCA is to protect and improve the environment and enhance human health.
St. Paul • Brainerd • Detroit Lakes • Duluth • Mankato • Marshall • Rochester • Willmar
www.pca.state.mn.us • Toll-free and TDD 800-657-3864
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