Le Sueur River Watershed Total Maximum Daily Load

This TMDL addresses one low dissolved oxygen (DO) impairment, five E. coli and four lake eutrophication impairments in the Le Sueur River Watershed. Addressing multiple impairments in one TMDL study is consistent with Minnesota's Water Quality Framework that seeks to develop watershed wide protection and restoration strategies rather than focus on individual reach impairments. The Le Sueur River Watershed covers 710,832 acres in the Western Corn Belt Plains (WCBP) and North Central Hardwood Forests (NCHF) ecoregions and drains portions of five counties (Blue Earth, Faribault, Freeborn, Steele and Waseca) in the south-east Minnesota River Basin. This TMDL used a variety of methods to evaluate current loading, contributions by the various pollutant sources as well as the allowable pollutant loading capacity (LC) of the impaired water bodies. These methods included the Hydrologic Simulation Program – FORTRAN (HSPF) model, the load duration curve approach and the BATHTUB lake eutrophication model. A general strategy and cost estimate for implementation to address the impairments is included. Non- Point Sources (NPS) will be the focus of implementation efforts. NPS contributions are not regulated and will need to proceed on a voluntary basis. Permitted point sources will be addressed through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's (MPCA) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)/State Disposal System (SDS) Permit (Permit) programs. vi