lake pepin watershed tmdl...agenda for today’s meeting implementing the lake pepin watershed study...

Public Information Meeting

May 6, 2020

Lake Pepin Watershed TMDL

Instructions for WebEx meeting participants: 1. Keep your voice (computer or phone) muted to avoid background noise

• Use the microphone icon on your screen to mute (red when muted)2. Preserve bandwidth by not using video 3. Questions will be taken via the chat box at first (by voice if time)

• Chat box is accessed through the speech bubble icon on your screen

Presentations will start at 10:05 amChatMute

(Red when muted)

Welcome

Wayne CordsRegional and watershed manager

Lake Pepin Watershed TMDL open for public comment through June 19

Comments important

Agenda for today’s meeting

Overview of Lake Pepin Watershed studyJustin WatkinsWatershed supervisor and TMDL

project manager


Is water quality improving in watershed?Lee GanskeSupervisor of Watershed Pollutant

Loading Network


Implementing the Lake Pepin Watershed studyDave WallResearch scientist for Nutrient

Reduction Strategy


5-minute breakDetails on wastewater and stormwater permitsQuestionsUse your chat featureWayne will read questions out loud and direct them for

responses


Questions for MPCA team, including:Marco Graziani, TMDL and

wastewater coordinatorDuane Duncanson, municipal

stormwater supervisorHans Holmberg, LimnoTech

project consultant

More information

Justin Watkins [email protected] Wood Lake Drive SE, Rochester, MN 55904

www.pca.state.mn.us/water/tmdl/lake-pepin-watershed-excess-nutrients-tmdl-project

Go to www.pca.state.mn.us and search for “Lake Pepin”

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/tmdl/lake-pepin-watershed-excess-nutrients-tmdl-project

http://www.pca.state.mn.us/

Lake Pepin and Mississippi Riverwater quality studies

Project overview: outline

Lake Pepin and water quality background Brief summary of public-noticed documentDifferent management approaches to reduce pollutant

loading to Lake Pepin Summary & questions

Lake Pepin project: Acknowledgement

Upstream achievement of water quality standards is required to meet Lake Pepin water quality standards – Steve Heiskary’s “central theme”

• Sedimentary deposits of the Chippewa River's delta form Lake Pepin.

• Surface area of about 40 square miles (100 km2).

• Average depth of 18 feet.

http

://w

ww

.lake

city

mn.

org/

wha

t-to

-do/

fishi

ng-h

untin

g/

http://www.lakecitymn.org/what-to-do/fishing-hunting/

Watershed

Area of land and water that drains to Lake Pepin

Land use is variable47,363 square miles Bigger than many

states

Water quality protection and regulation in MN

TMDL Total Maximum Daily Load

Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) goals

Waters that do not meet goals are impaired(Section 303(d) list)

TMDLs study impaired waters to understand current water quality and pollutant loads

Compare to “allowable” loads derived from water quality standards

Calculate pollutant load budgets for different sources

Nonpoint Load

Nonpoint Source Load

Point Source Load

Example: Phosphorus TMDL

Algae blooms Measured via Chlorophyll-a

Phosphorus is key nutrient TMDL definition

Caps phosphorus load

Lake Pepin & Mississippi River phosphorus TMDLs

Algae blooms too frequent and too severe

Phosphorus is pollutant causing the blooms

TMDLs needed for Lake Pepin and reaches of Mississippi River

Lake Pepin relationship toMississippi River TMDLs

Mississippi River Phosphorus TMDLs

Lake Pepin relationship toMN River TMDLs

Summary of TMDLs document content

Watershed background Summary of water quality data Discussion of pollutant sources Progress on pollutant load reductions TMDL computations and methods

Phosphorus load reduction goals Allowable loads specific to each wastewater

discharger and large city storm sewer system

Lake Pepin water quality data

Mississippi River reaches water quality data

Reach DescriptionTP Standard

(µg/L)Average TP (µg/L)

Chl-a Standard

(µg/L)

Average Chl-a (µg/L)

Crow River to Upper St. Anthony Falls

100 113.9 18 28.1

Upper St. Anthony Falls toSt. Croix River

125 182.3 35 37.5

Load reductions by basin

20% reduction in the Mississippi River at Ford Dam

50% reduction in the Minnesota River

20% reduction in the St. Croix River (previous TMDL)

50% reduction in the Cannon River (previous TMDL)

Load reductions by basin

20% reduction in other tributaries

70% reduction from previously permitted loads for WWTPs

50% reduction in resuspension in Pool 2 (from St. Paul to Hastings)

4 main approaches to phosphorus reduction

1. Wastewater treatment2. Managing urban stormwater3. Managing rural and agricultural runoff4. In-lake restoration work

Phosphorus from wastewater discharges

• About 238 wastewater permits with annual mass limits that are consistent with Pepin requirements

Phosphorus from wastewater discharges

• 80% reduction in phosphorus from wastewater

Agricultural best management practices34

Local water planning and BMP implementation

Statewide initiatives and big-picture thinking

In-lake projects

Questions?

Justin Watkins

[email protected]

507.206.2621

18 Wood Lake Drive SE, Rochester, MN 55904


Project Overview Is water quality improving: Watershed

Pollutant Load Monitoring Update MN Nutrient Reduction Strategy Detail modules for wastewater and MS4s

Justin Watkins

Lee Ganske

Dave Wall

Justin Watkins

Water quality and pollutant load trends

Watershed Pollutant Load Monitoring Network (WPLMN) began operation in 2007/2008

MPCA, MN DNR, and many local partners

Earlier data from MPCA and Metropolitan Council


Terms:Water quality vs. pollutant loading Trends


Phosphorus


Nitrate


Total Suspended Solids(sediment)


Phosphorus


Total Suspended Solids (Sediment)


Load contributions from Minnesota, Mississippi, and St. Croix rivers

Phosphorus

Water quality and pollutant Load trends

Load contributions from Minnesota, Mississippi, and St. Croix rivers

Total Suspended Solids (sediment)


Phosphorus


Total Suspended

Solids(sediment)


Summary: Quality of water entering Lake Pepin has improved as

a result of management efforts

Less progress on phosphorus and sediment load reductions due in part to increased flows

Substantial load reductions still needed*


Questions?

www.pca.state.mn.us/water/watershed-pollutant-load-monitoring

http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/watershed-pollutant-load-monitoring


Project Overview Watershed Pollutant Load Monitoring Update MN Nutrient Reduction Strategy Detail modules for wastewater and MS4s

Justin Watkins

Lee Ganske

Dave Wall

Justin Watkins

Minnesota’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy

www.pca.state.mn.us/water/nutrient-reduction-strategy

Finalized October 2014

Reduction Needs Large-scale ImplementationGuidance

Watershed Implementation Plans

Lake Pepin Eutrophication TMDL

Minnesota Nutrient Reduction Strategy

WRAPS guiding Local Water Planning (1W1P)

Scales of implementation

Milestones 10-20% Final 45-50%

1.

2.3.

Major basin 2014 to 2025 Milestones Final goals

1. MississippiRiver

12% for P(of pre-2000 baseline loads) 45%

and meet Minnesotalake and river standards

20% for N

2. Red River & Lake Winnipeg

10% for P

50%13% for N

3. Lake Superior No net increase from 1970s

Practices to achieve phosphorus goals

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5

Erosion control

Fertilizer efficiency

Cover crops & perennials

Millions of cropland acres

Progress also with:

Feedlots & manure

Streambank erosion

Urban stormwater

Wastewater

Added cropland BMPs

Many practices yield multiple benefits

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Sediment Nitrogen Phosphorus Flow

Cover Crops, Wetlands, Perennialsreductions at river outlets in south-central MN

High adoption rates in large watersheds

Cover Crops

Wetlands

Perennials

State-levelProgram Advances

Local Watershed

Work

Changes in Ag and Urban

Areas

Changes in Water

How to achieve? Chapter 6 of 2014 Strategy

update & republish

Mississippi River

Tracking & evaluating progress

Are the programs being advanced? Are the practices being adopted? Is the water showing improvement?

5-year progress

Numerous program advances (2014-19)

30+ since 2014

Education, Outreach and Research Voluntary Programs Regulatory Programs Watershed

Partnerships and Tools • Nitrogen Smart

training for farmers and farm-advisors

• Annual nutrient management and conservation tillage conferences

• Forever Green Initiative

• Discovery Farms • Minnesota Office of

Soil Health • Guidance manuals for

agricultural best management practices, drainage, urban stormwater management

• Conservation professionals training and certification

• Nutrient Management Initiative

• Center for Changing Landscapes

• Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification

• 4R Certification led by private industry (cropland nutrient management)

• Red River Basin Initiative and Red River Valley Drainage Water Management

• Minnesota Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program

• Board of Water and Soil Resources Cover Crop Demonstration Program

• Clean Water Fund – increases for BMP implementation

• Point – nonpoint trading

• Reinvest in Minnesota • Multi-purpose

drainage water management

• Municipal and Industrial Wastewater Program

• Groundwater Protection Rule (Nitrogen Fertilizer)

• Minnesota Riparian Buffer Law

• Feedlot and land application of manure rules and program

• Urban Stormwater Runoff Program

• Subsurface Sewage Treatment Program

• Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies (WRAPS) in over 50 HUC-8 watersheds

• One Watershed, One Plan (1W1P) Program

• Groundwater Restoration and Protection Strategies

• Watershed Conservation Planning Initiative

• Small focus watersheds – Federal Section 319 Program (20 watersheds)

• Guidance on Lake Protection for WRAPS and 1W1P

• National Water Quality Initiative and Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watershed Initiative

• Watershed-based Funding Implementation Program

• Root River Field to Stream Partnership

Many programs implemented locally

Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS)

49 of 80Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies

Watershed-based local water planning (through 1W1P)

Watershed goals lead to downstream goals

State-levelProgram Advances

Local Watershed

Work

Changes in Ag and Urban

Areas

Changes in Water

Time lags can delay full effects in water

Time lag

Time lag

Time lag

Long-term water monitoring is important

From Met Council 2018From MPCA 2018

PFWMC

10-yearPhosphorus Trends 20-year

Phosphorus Trends

Minnesota Nutrient Reduction Strategy

From Met Council 2018From MPCA 2018

PFWMC

Questions?

www.pca.state.mn.us/water/nutrient-reduction-strategy

http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/nutrient-reduction-strategy

5 minute breakComments due 4:30 p.m. June 19:in Watkins

[email protected] Wood Lake Drive, Rochester, MN 55904

More information:www.pca.state.mn.us/water/tmdl/lake-pepin-watershed-excess-nutrients-tmdl-project




Project overview Watershed pollutant load monitoring update MN Nutrient Reduction Strategy Detail modules for wastewater and MS4s

Justin Watkins

Lee Ganske

Dave Wall

Justin Watkins

Wasteload allocations

TMDL component

Describes allowable load for point source

Used in setting wastewater effluent limits

Wasteload allocation approach for wastewater

Categorical: wasteload allocations based on facility type and size

Described in detail in TMDL document Section 5.2.1

Wasteload allocation approach for wastewater

Assigns wasteload allocation phosphorus mass to each facility

Appendix B includes each wasteload allocation

To be used in permitting

Lake Pepin TMDL wasteload allocation approachFacility Type and Flow (AWWDF or MDF*) Annual WLA to meet Lake Pepin TMDL

Continuous > 20.0 mgd AWWDF x 0.3 mg/L

Continuous 1.0 – 20.0 mgd AWWDF x 0.8 mg/L

Continuous 0.2 – 1.0 mgd AWWDF x 1.0 mg/L

Continuous <0.2 mgd AWWDF x 3.50 mg/L or maintain current load

Stabilization ponds AWWDF x 1.0 or 2.0 mg/L or maintain current load

WWTPs at conc. below River Eutrophication Standard Maintain current discharge**

Industrial Discharge with concentration > 1.0 mg/L and MDF > 1.0 mgd MDF x 1.0 mg/L

Industrial Discharge with concentration > 1.0 mg/L and MDF < 1.0 mgd MDF x 1.0 mg/L

Industrial Discharge with concentration < 1.0 mg/L Current load x 1.15

Other Industrial Limits specified on a site specific basis

WLAs will be implemented as 12 month moving total or calendar year total mass limit**Expansion of these WWTPs may be permitted assuming effluent concentration remains below River Eutrophication Standard

WWTPs collectively are already meeting the draft wasteload allocation of 600 metric tons year for Lake Pepin

WWTPs have been issued Lake Pepin limits when their permits expired since 2010

Many facilities are currently complying with proposed WLAs

Many WWTF WLAs already implemented

Phosphorus from wastewater dramatically reduced

Approx 238 permits with annual mass limits that are consistent with Pepin requirements

Summary

Many municipal and industrial wastewater permits already contain effluent limits that are consistent with TMDL wasteload allocations

How does a permittee find out if they need to make changes? Reach out to MPCA and we will

connect

Lake Pepin TMDLMunicipal Industrial Total

Facilities with WLAs 260 137 397Permit limits Consistent with TMDL WLA 195 31 226Permit limits need adjustment 20 6 26No existing permit limit 45 100 145

Mississippi River RES TMDLsMunicipal Industrial Total

Facilities with WLAs 33 37 70Permit limits Consistent with TMDL WLA 15 9 24Permit limits need adjustment 14 2 16No existing permit limit 4 28 32

Note: Many industrial discharges do not contain elevated phosphorus concentrations and will not need effluent limits or, if they do, they are likely to be able to meet those limits already. Individual permit by permit analysis will be needed to determine this. Examples of such discharges include noncontact cooling water and sand & gravel pit dewatering.

Wasteload allocations

TMDL Component Describes allowable load for

point source Used in MS4 permitting MS4: Municipal Separate

Stormsewer System

Wasteload allocation approach for MS4s

Based on phosphorus export goal 0.35 lb/acre/year total phosphorus Not a “flat reduction percentage” Per previous MS4 stakeholder input

See TMDLs document Section 5.2.2

Based on literature & data

Consistent with other phosphorus TMDLs

Wasteload allocation approach for MS4s

Real data indicate this export rate is reasonably achievable

WLA masses are 0.35 lb/acre multiplied by MS4 regulated areasIncluded in Appendix C

Literature review to determine export number

Detailed Assessment of Phosphorus Sources to Minnesota Watersheds (Barr Engineering 2004)

Lake St. Croix Nutrient TMDL (MPCA 2012b) (0.337 lb/acre/year) Lake Byllesby TMDL (MPCA 2013b) (0.242 lb/acre/year) Medicine Lake TMDL (MPCA 2010) (0.279 lb/acre/year) Coon Creek TMDL (MPCA 2016b) (0.392 lb acre/year) Minnesota River DO TMDL (MPCA 2004) Upper Mississippi River – Lake Pepin Water Quality Model (LimnoTech

2009a) Cannon River HSPF Model (LimnoTech 2015).

Non-degradation estimates

Loading estimates for 30 non-degradation cities in MN

Estimated loads for “No BMPs” and “With BMPs” scenarios

If a “typical” no BMPs export is approximately 0.5 lb/acre/yr, a 30% reduction would get to the export goal Consistent with MN River DO TMDL

Metropolitan Council phosphorus export data

WLA application in MS4 permits

Need to show progress toward numeric goals For MS4s that have more restrictive local WLAs, those WLAs represent

the working goals Phosphorus BMPs can be credited to multiple WLAs Note that the new MS4 permit requires permittees to address WLAs

that are finalized at the time of MS4 permit completion It is likely that the Lake Pepin and Mississippi River TMDLs will be finalized

after the MS4 permit and as such, these WLAs will be addressed in next permit cycle; so there is reasonable amount of time to integrate these numbers in plans and permits

Questions?Comments due 4:30 p.m. June 19:in Watkins

[email protected] Wood Lake Drive, Rochester, MN 55904

More information:www.pca.state.mn.us/water/tmdl/lake-pepin-watershed-excess-nutrients-tmdl-project



lake pepin watershed tmdl...agenda for today’s meeting implementing the lake pepin watershed study...

Documents