Lino Lakes Chain of Lakes TMDL Implementation Plan

The Lino Lakes Chain of Lakes Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study addresses nutrient impairments in all five lakes in the chain. The goal of the TMDL is to quantify the pollutant reductions needed to meet state water quality standards for nutrients in George Watch (02-0005), Marshan (02-0007), Reshanau (02-0009), Rice (02-0008) and Baldwin (02-0013) Lakes. The Lino Lakes chain of lakes is a regionally important water resource located in Anoka County, Minnesota, in the Rice Creek watershed, within the jurisdictional limits of the City of Lino Lakes. The lakes are heavily used recreational water bodies that support fishing and boating as well as provide aesthetic values. Four of the lakes are wholly or partially located within the Rice Creek Regional Park Reserve. The drainage area to the lake chain is 12,000 acres of suburban, regional park, undeveloped wetland, and agricultural land. The lakes are connected to each other by channels of varying lengths. George Watch, Marshan, Rice, and Baldwin Lakes are part of a longer flow-through chain of lakes receiving outflow from the Peltier Lake upstream, while Reshanau receives outflow from some smaller lakes and discharges to Rice Lake. The lake system discharges into Rice Creek, which ultimately discharges into the Mississippi River. Water quality is poor with frequent algal blooms. All the lakes in this study are shallow lakes, with maximum depths of less than 10 feet. Wasteload and Load Allocations to meet state standards indicate that nutrient load reductions ranging from 65 to 85 percent would be required to consistently meet standards under average precipitation conditions. To achieve these reductions, Peltier Lake must achieve its TMDL goal and internal loads in the chain of lakes must be significantly reduced through a combination of aquatic vegetation and fishery management.