MPCA invites comments on water quality report for Byllesby Reservoir

For release: May 1, 2013

Contact: Cathy Rofshus, 507-206-2608

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MPCA invites comments on water quality report for Byllesby Reservoir

Rochester, Minn. -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) invites comments on a water quality improvement report for Byllesby Reservoir on the Cannon River in Goodhue and Dakota counties. Comments will be accepted May 13 through June 10.

The public is encouraged to attend a presentation on the report on May 13 at 6 p.m. at Phillipo Scout Reservation, 30654 32nd Ave. Way, Cannon Falls, hosted by the Cannon River Watershed Partnership.

Created by a dam in 1911, Byllesby Reservoir is a shallow basin covering 1,400 acres. The land that drains to the reservoir totals about 730,000 acres, representing 1.3 percent of the state of Minnesota. With many boat accesses and two county parks, the reservoir is popular for swimming, boating and fishing.

However, because of sediment, nutrients and other pollutants entering the reservoir, Byllesby suffers from cloudy water and algal blooms that harm fish and wildlife habitat. The lower water quality also decreases recreational opportunities.

The MPCA, with the Cannon River Watershed Partnership, is conducting a study of the reservoir. This study is called a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), and is part of a nationwide effort under the federal Clean Water Act to identify and clean up water pollution. A TMDL is the amount of a pollutant that a water body can accept and still meet state water-quality standards.

The Byllesby study included setting water quality standards specifically for the reservoir:
• 90 parts per billion (ppb) or less of total phosphorus. Total phosphorus includes both the phosphorus dissolved in the water and the phosphorus that is attached to sediment (soil) particles. Eight summers of measuring phosphorus levels in Byllesby Reservoir found a range of 200 to 250 ppb, well above state water-quality standards.
• 30 ppb or less of chlorophyll-a, the main pigment in algae. The water monitoring study found the average level in Byllesby Reservoir to be 47 ppb. Levels above 30 ppb are associated with severe algal blooms.
• Water clarity of at least 0.8 meter (2.62 feet). Water clarity is an important measurement of a lake or river’s health. The study found that water clarity in Byllesby ranged from 0.6 to 0.9 meter (1.97 to 2.95 feet).

The MPCA believes these site-specific standards will result in fewer and less severe algal blooms in the reservoir.

The study indicates that significant reductions in nutrients will be needed to meet these standards. Urban changes will include providing wastewater treatment to unsewered communities and upgrading wastewater treatment in other communities. Some communities, including Northfield, Faribault and Owatonna, have already taken steps to reduce phosphorus in their wastewater discharges. Rural changes will include managing manure and fertilizer, as well as reducing erosion and runoff to local waters.

The TMDL draft report will be available May 13 on the MPCA’s Byllesby Reservoir webpage (http://www.pca.state.mn.us/hqzq978).

After receiving comments, revising the report, and receiving federal approval of the report, the MPCA will work with local partners to develop strategies to reduce pollution throughout the watershed.

Submit comments, which must be in writing, to Justin Watkins, MPCA, 18 Wood Lake Dr. SE, Rochester, MN 55904 (phone 507-206-2621 or 800-657-3864; email justin.watkins@state.mn.us).

Broadcast version:

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is inviting the public to comment on a water quality improvement report for Byllesby Reservoir on the Cannon River in Goodhue and Dakota counties. The draft report will be available on the M-P-C-A website on May 13, and comments will be accepted from May 13 through June 10.

The public is encouraged to attend a presentation on the report on May 13 at 6 P-M at Phillipo Scout Reservation, Cannon Falls. The presentation will precede the monthly board meeting of the Cannon River Watershed Partnership.

The water quality improvement report calls for significantly reducing nutrients, from urban and rural sources, in the reservoir to reduce the frequency and severity of algal blooms. For more information, visit the M-P-C-A's Byllesby Reservoir webpage.

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