St. Clair Lake Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)

This Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study addresses the nutrient impairment of St. Clair Lake, located in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. St. Clair Lake is 160 acres and receives runoff from 7,380 acres (or 11.5 square miles) of land. St. Clair Lake and its watershed are located in Becker County, Minnesota – a growth region of the State. This lake does not meet Minnesota's water quality standards due to excessive nutrient and algal concentrations. Lake St. Clair discharges via County Ditch 14 to Muskrat Lake and then to Sallie and Melissa Lakes. These lakes have been the subject of extensive city of Detroit Lakes and Pelican River Watershed District (PRWD) rehabilitation efforts over the past three decades that have resulted in measurable improvements in water quality. However, additional reductions in nutrient concentrations are required to fully achieve lake water quality standards and beneficial uses.