2011 SWA III monitoring complete!

As previously mentioned, the purpose of this grant purpose is to determine the status (health) of the streams and lakes within the Cannon River Watershed. As part of the Surface Water Grant III that CRWP had recieved thirteen streams and three lakes were evaluted by collecting water quality samples from May through September.

If you are interested in this year's water quality result, please click on the 2011 project summary.

or

click on the project's fact sheet.

Surface water assessment III monitoring locations update!

The stream monitoring locations have been selected by the MPCA and CRWP staff. This project will have 13 stream locations were water quality samples are to be collected. Citizen stream volunteers will be utilized as much as possible to collect these samples. CRWP is always looking for new recruits/volunteers to assist with our monitoring efforts. So, here is a list of the stream monitoring sites for the 2011 monitoring season:

1. Cannon River, Near Highway 61, South on Cannon Bottoms Rd. in Red Wing, MN,
2. Wolf Creek, South on Dundas Blvd. near Dundas, MN,
3. Heath Creek, South of Highway 19 on Decker Avenue. Northfield, MN,
4. Little Cannon River, On County Road 24, Southwest of Cannon Falls, MN,
5. Belle Creek, On County Road 7, on the ATV bridge, South of town of Welch, MN,
6. Crane Creek, North of Clinton Falls, MN on East Frontage Road of I-35.
7. Turtle Creek, East of I-35, On 22nd Avenue and south of the City of Owatonna, MN,
8. Cannon River, upstream of Cannon Lake, East of Morristown, MN on Highway 60 at bike bridge.
9. Chub Creek, On Dixie Rd. in Randolph, MN,
10. Prairie Creek, On 310th Street, in Cannon Falls, MN,
11. Straight River, located on 14th St. NE in Faribault, MN,
12. Straight River, located on 58th St. SW of the City of Owatonna, MN,
13. Cannon River, upstream of Highway 20 in Cannon Falls, MN.

In addition to the list above, I have include maps of these monitoring locations. If you have any questions or interest, please feel free to contact me.

SWA stream sampling

Above are some stream sampling photos and locations.

SWA lake sampling

Above are some photos taken while collecting lake water quality samples in the 2010 monitoring season. The lakes being evaluated were Goose, Rice, Watkins, Roemhildts, and Silver. 

2010 Impaired Waters Listing

2010 Impaired Waters listing

                Every two years, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through the Clean Water Act, to submit an updated list of impaired waters to the EPA for their review and approval. Impaired waters are defined and placed on this list when they do not meet water quality standards for their EPA designated usages. 

                In accordance with this requirement, the MPCA has drafted a 2010 list with a total of 1,774 impairments, including 378 new Total Maximum Daily Loading (TMDL) listings, among which are impairments for excess nutrients in lakes, perfluoroctane sulfonate (PFOS) in fish in streams and lakes, and excess nitrates in waters protected for drinking water. Each TMDL listing is pollutant-specific, defining the maximum amount of each pollutant that can be released and assimilated in receiving waters from point and non-point sources, thereby allowing the receiving waters to meet water quality standards.

                Within the Cannon River watershed, there have been 17 new excessive nutrient lake impairments listed; bring the total to 36 impaired lakes. Also, E. coli bacteria, nitrates and turbidity (sediment) impairments were listed for 23 new sites bring the total of number of impairments to these systems to 43.

 For further information, please visit the MPCA website

 http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/tmdl/tmdl-303dlist.html

Or view an interactive map of impaired waters at

http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/tmdl/tmdl-maps.html