Elm Creek TMDL 

The federal Clean Water Act requires states to establish minimum water quality standards for surface waters such as lakes, streams, and wetlands. Those that do not meet the standards must be designated as Impaired Waters, and responsible parties must determine how to clean up and restore them. 

The Elm Creek Watershed TMDL addresses 22 impairments in the Elm Creek watershed and two impairments in the Crow River watershed. These include nutrient impairments in Fish Lake, Rice Lake, Diamond Lake, Goose Lake, and Henry Lake; E. coli bacteria impairments in Rush Creek-South Fork, Rush Creek main stem, Diamond Creek, and Elm Creek; low dissolved oxygen impairments in Rush Creek main stem, Diamond Creek, and Elm Creek; and both fish and macroinvertebrate biotic integrity impairments for upper and lower reaches of the Rush Creek-South Fork, Rush Creek main stem, Diamond Creek, and Elm Creek. The TMDL also includes nutrient impairments in Cowley Lake and Sylvan Lake in the Crow River watershed.

Since the TMDL was completed, actions taken to improve water quality in Fish Lake have led to better water quality. It now meets state standards and has been "delisted," or removed from the list of Impaired Waters.

Report Links:
Elm Creek Watershed TMDL Study
Elm Creek Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy Report
Elm Creek Watershed Stressor ID Report 

What is a TMDL?

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) is a regulatory term in the U.S. Clean Water Act (CWA), describing the maximum amount of a pollutant that a body of water can receive while still meeting water quality standards. It also refers to a study which identifies the source(s) of the pollutants and how much those sources must be reduced and presents a plan of actions to accomplish this.

Every two years, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) releases the Federal Clean Water Act's (303d) list of impaired waters in Minnesota. Named after the section of the Clean Water Act in which the impaired waters law is found, the list includes all state lakes, rivers and streams known to exceed water quality standards.

Find out more ​at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).
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