Pearl Lake and Mill Creek TMDL Implementation Plan

Pearl Lake was assessed for nutrient impairment in 2007, and was placed on the State of Minnesota's 303(d) list of impaired waters in 2008. At that time, both total phosphorus and chlorophyll a exceeded the full support thresholds, while Secchi disc depth indicated full support; however, the summer mean Secchi disc transparency had declined from 2000 to 2006, and Pearl Lake was proposed and subsequently approved for listing (MPCA 2008). The Sauk River Watershed District (SRWD), with assistance from Barr Engineering, has completed a TMDL analysis for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to quantify the phosphorus reduction needed to meet state water quality standards for nutrients in Pearl Lake and E.coli reduction needed to meet state water quality standards in Mill Creek. The TMDL for Pearl Lake and Mill Creek was prepared in cooperation with local agencies and organization. The final step in the TMDL process is the development of an implementation plan that sets forth the activities that will be undertaken to reduce phosphorus loading to Pearl Lake and E.coli bacteria in Mill Creek. This implementation plan is divided in two sections to address Pearl Lake and Mill Creek individually, although they are within the same minor watershed. For each water body, this plan will provide a brief overview of the TMDL finds, describe the proposed implementation activities and discuss agencies involved in addressing the impairments listed for Pearl Lake and Mill Creek.