Cedar Lake and McMahon (Carl's) Lake Total Maximum Daily Load Report

Cedar and McMahon (Carl's) Lakes are currently listed on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's (MPCA) 2010 303(d) Impaired Waters List due to excessive nutrients (phosphorus). Cedar Lake is one of the largest lakes in Scott County. The lake has a surface area of 779 acres, a maximum depth of approximately 13 feet, and a mean depth of 6.9 feet. Cedar Lake is considered a shallow lake, with the littoral area covering the entire lake surface. Cedar Lake is used primarily for motor boating, canoeing, fishing, picnicking, and aesthetic viewing. Cedar Lake provides some limited wildlife habitat. The MPCA projected schedule for Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) report completion, as indicated on Minnesota's 303(d) impaired waters list, implicitly reflects Minnesota's priority ranking of these TMDLs. The Cedar Lake and McMahon (Carl's) Lake TMDLs were scheduled to begin in 2008 and be complete in 2012. Ranking criteria for scheduling TMDL projects include, but are not limited to: impairment impacts on public health and aquatic life; public value of the impaired water resource; likelihood of completing the TMDL in an expedient manner, including a strong base of existing data and restorability of the water body; technical capability and willingness locally to assist with each TMDL; and appropriate sequencing of TMDLs within a watershed or basin.