Cannon River Watershed Total Maximum Daily Load

The Clean Water Act (1972) requires that each state develop a plan to identify and restore any waterbody that is deemed impaired by state regulations. A Total Maximum Daily Load Study (TMDL) is required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a result of the federal Clean Water Act. A TMDL identifies the pollutant that is causing the impairment and how much of that pollutant can enter the waterbody and still meet water quality standards. This TMDL study includes calculations for 30 lakes with phosphorus impairments as well as 41 stream reaches with bacteria, chloride, nitrate and/or total suspended solid (TSS) impairments located in the Cannon River Watershed (CRW) (HUC 07040002) in southeastern Minnesota. These listings are on the approved 2012 EPA 303(d) list of impaired waters and the draft 2014 EPA 303(d) list of impaired waters.