Upper Mississippi River Total Suspended Solids Total Maximum Daily Load Report

The Clean Water Act (1972) requires that each state develop a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Study for any waterbody that is deemed impaired by state regulations. A TMDL identifies the pollutant that is causing the impairment and how much of that pollutant can enter the waterbody and still meet water quality standards. This TMDL study addresses total suspended solids (TSS) impairments in three reaches of the Upper Mississippi River that are on Minnesota's 2018 303(d) list of impaired waters: Swan River to Willow River (07010103-708); Willow River to Pine River (07010104-655); and Pine River to Crow Wing River (07010104-656). The Upper Mississippi River is located in North Central Minnesota, and the impaired reaches extend from near Grand Rapids in Itasca County to near Brainerd in Crow Wing County.