Big Sandy Lake and Lake Minneswawa Total Maximum Daily Load Report (TMDL) Implementation Plan

Big Sandy Lake and Lake Minnewawa are currently listed on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's (MPCA) 2008 303(d) Impaired Waters List due to excessive nutrients (phosphorus). Both lakes are located in Aitkin County, Minnesota and are within the Northern Lakes and Forests (NLF) ecoregion. A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Report was completed for Big Sandy Lake and Lake Minnewawa in January 2010. Big Sandy Lake is a reservoir operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE). Big Sandy Lake has a surface area of 6,526 acres and a maximum depth of approximately 84 feet. Lake Minnewawa is within the watershed of Big Sandy Lake. Lake Minnewawa has a surface area of 2,355 acres and a maximum depth of approximately 21 feet.