A TMDL is the maximum amount of a pollutant a body of water can receive without violating water quality standards, and an allocation of that amount to the pollutant’s sources. The TMDL process identifies all sources of a pollutant and determines how much each source must reduce its contribution in order to meet the standard. Once a body of water is added to the Minnesota Impaired Waters List, a TMDL must be developed for it. After impaired waters are listed, the MPCA organizes them into TMDL projects. Each project may contain one or more waterbodies or segments of a waterbody.
Federal and state regulations and programs also require implementation of restoration measures to meet TMDLs. The measures must be completed within one year after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approves a TMDL study.
Below you'll find links to the various TMDL projects in Minnesota. Some studies are completed and awaiting EPA approval or are otherwise still in draft form, some have been approved, and some projects are still being studied and have yet to be drafted.
For more information
- For assessment-related questions, contact Pam Anderson
- For questions about TMDLs, contact Celine Lyman (651-757-2541, 800-657-3864)
WRAPS/TMDLs projects
Draft TMDLs go through an extensive technical review and public notice process before the MPCA submits them to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for final approval. Public comments on draft TMDL reports are typically accepted for 30 days. If there are substantial changes made to the draft as a result of public comment, it will be re-public noticed. Otherwise, the TMDL is submitted to EPA for final approval a minimum of 30 days following the conclusion of the public notice period. Some TMDLs receive significant public comments which may require several weeks for response preparation. In addition, the EPA typically completes its review of the final draft within 30 days of receiving it from the MPCA, but some studies may require additional time.
- Buffalo River Watershed (Red River of the North Basin)
- Cannon River Watershed (Lower Mississippi River Basin)
- Chippewa River Watershed (Minnesota River Basin)
- The draft WRAPS Report and draft TMDL are both on public notice
- Public notice open for comment August 8 to September 7, 2016
- Elm Creek Watershed (Upper Mississippi River Basin)
- Lake Crystal: Excess Nutrients (Minnesota River Basin)
- Lake Osakis: Excess Nutrients TMDL (Upper Mississippi River Basin)
- Public Notice open for comment December 5, 2016 to February 3, 2017
- The public comment period for the revised draft Osakis Lake Area TMDL has been extended to February 3, 2017.
- Little Rock Creek: Impaired Biota
- Long Prairie River Watershed (Upper Mississippi River Basin)
- Mustinka River Watershed District (Red River of the North Basin)
- Pope County 8 Lakes: Excess Nutrients (Minnesota River Basin)
- Redeye River Watershed Draft TMDL (Upper Mississippi River Basin)
- Root River Watershed (Lower Mississippi River Basin)
- Sauk Lake (Southwest Bay) TMDL (Upper Mississippi River Basin)
- Sauk River Bacteria & Nutrient TMDL (Upper Mississippi River Basin)
- Public Notice open for comment January 9 to February 8, 2017
- Sandhill River Watershed (Red River of the North Basin)
- The draft WRAPS Report and draft TMDL are both on notice.
- Public Notice open for comment May 31 to June 29, 2016
- Lake Winona: Excess Nutrients TMDL (Upper Mississippi River Basin)
- Public Notice open for comment December 5, 2016 to February 3, 2017
- The public comment period for the Draft Lake Winona Phosphorus TMDL has been extended to February 3, 2017.
- Yellow Medicine River Watershed (Minnesota River Basin)
Approved WRAPS, TMDLs/implementation plans
This spreadsheet includes WRAPS reports and implementation plans approved by the MPCA and TMDLs approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: 
Approved TMDLs and WRAPS (wq-iw1-13c)
To see approved projects on a map, use the Impaired Waters Viewer and select the "Approved TMDLs" button.
| TMDL projects | TMDL approved by U.S. EPA |
Implementation plan approved by MPCA | Basin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coon Creek Watershed District | 2016-09-26 | TBD | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| 12-Mile Creek DO TMDL (North Fork Crow River Watershed) | 2016-09-26 | TBD | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Lower Minnesota River: Low Dissolved Oxygen | 2004-09-28 | 2006-02 | Minnesota River Basin |
| Yellow Medicine (South Branch) TMDL: Fecal Coliform Bacteria | 2004-09-30 | 2005-09-27 | Minnesota River Basin |
| Chippewa River: Un-ionized Ammonia | 2004-10-29 | 2004-11 | Minnesota River Basin |
| Long Prairie River Watershed: Low Dissolved Oxygen | 2005-08-5 | 2006-01 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Lower Mississippi River Basin TMDL: Regional Fecal Coliform | 2006-04-5 | 2007-09 | Lower Mississippi River Basin |
| Chippewa River TMDL: Fecal Coliform | 2007-01-11 | 2016-02-29 | Minnesota River Basin |
| Lower Otter Tail River TMDL: Turbidity | 2007-02-12 | 2007-2 | Red River Basin |
| Shingle Creek TMDL: Chloride | 2007-02-14 | 2007-03-5 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Sunrise River (North Branch) TMDL: Fecal Coliform Bacteria | 2007-02-22 | 2007-02 | St. Croix River Basin |
| Lake Independence TMDL: Excess Nutrients | 2007-02-23 | 2007-03 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Carver-Bevens-Silver Creeks TMDL: Fecal Coliform | 2007-03-14 | 2007-03 | Minnesota River Basin |
| Statewide TMDL: Mercury Pollutant Reduction Plan | 2007-03-27 | 2009-10 | Statewide |
| Lower Cannon River TMDL: Turbidity | 2007-07-13 | 2009-10-14 | Lower Mississippi River Basin |
| Twin and Ryan Lakes TMDL: Excess Nutrients | 2007-11-9 | 2007-11-13 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Blue Earth River TMDL: Fecal Coliform Bacteria | 2007-06-7 | 2007-11-14 | Minnesota River Basin |
| Pomme de Terre River TMDL: Fecal Coliform Bacteria | 2007-12-7 | 2008-09-29 | Minnesota River Basin |
| Rock River TMDL: Fecal and Turbidity | 2008-04-23 | 2008-10 | Missouri and Des Moines River Basins |
| Pipestone Creek TMDL: Fecal Coliform Bacteria and Turbidity | 2008-07-3 | 2008-09 | Missouri and Des Moines River Basins |
| High Island Creek - Rush River: Fecal Coliform | 2008-11-14 | 2009-07-14 | Minnesota River Basin |
| Burandt Lake: Excess Nutrients | 2008-11-26 | 2009-06-09 | Minnesota River Basin |
| West Fork Des Moines River Watershed: Multiple Impairments | 2008-12-18 | 2009-09-22 | Missouri and Des Moines River Basins |
| Crystal Lake (Metro): Excess Nutrients | 2009-03-25 | 2009-07-7 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Long and Farquar Lakes: Excess Nutrients (Metro) | 2009-04-8 | 2010-06-30 | Lower Mississippi River Basin |
| Groundhouse River: Fecal Coliform and Impaired Biota | 2009-03-12 | 2009-07-15 | St. Croix River Basin |
| Hardwood Creek: Impaired Biota, Dissolved Oxygen (Metro) | 2009-06-18 | 2009-07-10 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Lower Wild Rice River TMDL: Turbidity | 2009-07-17 | 2009-10-12 | Red River Basin |
| Schmidt, Pomerleau, and Bass Lakes: Excess Nutrients | 2009-09-25 | 2009-12-3 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Vermillion River TMDL: Turbidity | 2009-09-29 | 2011-09-14 | Lower Mississippi River Basin |
| Golden Lake: Excess Nutrients (Metro) | 2009-09-30 | TBD | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Clearwater River and 6 Lakes: Bacteria and Nutrients | 2010-01-26 | 2010-05-19 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Kohlman Lakes: Excess Nutrients (Metro) | 2010-03-23 | 2010-05-6 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Meadow Lake: Excess Nutrients (Metro) | 2010-03-23 | 2010-06-14 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Cedar Island, Pike and Eagle Lakes: Excess Nutrients | 2010-04-14 | 2010-05-18 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Comfort Lake - Forest Lake TMDL: Excess Nutrients | 2010-06-7 | 2010-06-11 | St. Croix River Basin |
| Mustinka River: Turbidity | 2010-06-8 | 2010-11-30 | Red River Basin |
| Knife River: Turbidity | 2010-07-2 | 2011-12-9 | Lake Superior Basin |
| Silver Lake TMDL: Excessive Nutrients | 2010-07-29 | 2011-05-25 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Fish and Schwanz Lakes: Excess Nutrients (Metro) | 2010-09-9 | 2010-11-24 | Minnesota River Basin |
| Reitz Lake: Excess Nutrients (Metro) | 2010-09-20 | 2010-09-20 | Minnesota River Basin |
| Clearwater River - Five Lakes Nutrients TMDL (Albion, Augusta, Caroline, Henshaw and Swartout Lakes) | 2010-09-28 | 2010-05-19 | Upper Mississippi Basin |
| Carver Creek Lakes: Excess Nutrients (Metro) | 2010-09-28 | 2010-11-12 | Minnesota River Basin |
| South Fork Crow River Lakes: Excess Nutrients(Metro) | 2010-09-28 | 2010-11-3 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Magda Lake: Excess Nutrients (Metro) | 2010-09-30 | 2010-10-1 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Wirth Lake: Excess Nutrients (Metro) | 2010-10-25 | 2010-10-25 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Lake Margaret: Excess Nutrients (Metro) | 2010-10-26 | TBD | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Clearwater River (UM Basin) CD #44 to Lake Betsy: Dissolved Oxygen | 2010-11-8 | TBD | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Ninemile Creek: Impaired Biota, Turbidity & Chloride | 2010-11-29 | TBD | Minnesota River Basin |
| Browns Creek: Lack of a coldwater assemblage and Impaired Biota | 2010-12-21 | 2012-02-16 | St. Croix River Basin |
| Como Lake: Excess Nutrients | 2010-12-23 | TBD | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Getchel, Unnamed, Stoney (GUS): Turbidity | 2011-02-7 | 2014-06-30 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Medicine Lake: Excessive Nutrients (Metro) | 2011-02-8 | 2011-02-8 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| MinnehahaCreek Watershed Lakes: Excess Nutrients (Metro) | 2011-04-25 | TBD | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Lake Sarah: Excess Nutrients (Metro) | 2011-04-25 | 2011-09-16 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Jessie Lake: Excess Nutrients | 2011-05-4 | TBD | Rainy River Basin |
| Rabbit River: Turbidity | 2011-06-14 | TBD | Red River Basin |
| Big Sandy Area Lakes: Excess Nutrients | 2011-06-14 | 2013-05-22 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Long and Ringo Lakes TMDL:Excess Nutrients | 2011-07-20 | TBD | Minnesota River Basin |
| Sweeney Lake: Phosphorus | 2011-08-10 | TBD | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Spring Lake-Upper Prior Lake: Excess Nutrients (Metro) | 2011-09-14 | 2012-02-29 | Minnesota River Basin |
| Diamond Lake: Excess Nutrients | 2011-09-21 | 2011-10-11 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Pomme de Terre River Watershed: Turbidity | 2011-09-21 | 2011-11-23 | Minnesota River Basin |
| Crystal, Keller, Lee, and Earley Lakes: Excess Nutrients | 2011-09-30 | 2011-11-3 | Minnesota River Basin |
| Shingle and Bass Creeks: Impaired Biota & Dissolved Oxygen (Metro) | 2011-11-4 | 2012-01-30 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Little Rock Lake: Excess Nutrients | 2012-02-2 | 2013-03-14 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Cedar and McMahon Lakes: Excess Nutrients | 2012-02-23 | 2012-06-18 | Minnesota River Basin |
| North Fork Crow River, Rice Lake: Excess Nutrients | 2012-05-7 | 2012-06-4 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Ann and Emma Lakes: Excess Nutrients | 2012-05-22 | 2012-06-19 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Zumbro River Watershed: Turbidity | 2012-05-25 | 2012-08-28 | Lower Mississippi River Basin |
| Bald Eagle Lake: Excess Nutrients(Metro) | 2012-06-11 | 2012-06-11 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Elk River Watershed: Multiple Impairments | 2012-06-14 | 2012-07-10 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Martin and Typo Lakes: Excess Nutrients | 2012-06-20 | 2012-08-8 | St. Croix River Basin |
| Lake St. Croix: Excess Nutrients | 2012-08-8 | 2012-10-26 | St. Croix River Basin |
| Carnelian Marine St. Croix 10 Lake TMDL: Excess Nutrients | 2012-08-18 | 2013-08-30 | St. Croix River Basin |
| Lake Shaokatan: Excess Nutrients | 2012-09-20 | TBD | Minnesota River Basin |
| Carver-Bevens Creeks — Fecal Coliform Bacteria and Turbidity | 2012-09-20 | 2013-07-24 | Minnesota River Basin |
| Mill Creek Bacteria and Pearl Lake Nutrients | 2012-09-25 | 2014-06-30 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Carver-Bevens Creeks — Fecal Coliform Bacteria and Turbidity | 2012-09-26 | 2013-07-24 | Minnesota River Basin |
| Chisago Lakes: Nutrient/Eutrophication Biological Indicators | 2013-02-20 | 2013-02-25 | St. Croix River Basin |
| Lac qui Parle River-Yellow Bank: Bacteria, Turbidity, and Low Dissolved Oxygen | 2013-05-8 | 2013-06-20 | Minnesota River Basin |
| Carver Creek Lakes: Excess Nutrients (Metro) (Benton Lake) | 2013-05-17 | 2013-09-16 | Minnesota River Basin |
| Ann River Watershed: Excess Nutrients and Impaired Biota | 2013-06-3 | 2013-07-15 | St. Croix River Basin |
| Lake Osakis Watershed: Excess Nutrients | 2013-06-5 | 2014-06-30 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Bluff Creek: Turbidity and Impaired Fish Biota (Metro) | 2013-06-28 | 2013-07-24 | Minnesota River Basin |
| Deer Creek: Turbidity | 2013-08-12 | 2014-04-1 | Lake Superior Basin |
| Lower Crow River (North Fork): multiple impairments | 2013-08-20 | TBD | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Peltier and Centerville Lakes: Excess Nutrients (Lino Lakes) (Metro) | 2013-09-27 | TBD | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Sauk Lake: Excess Nutrients | 2013-11-13 | 2014-05-30 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Peltier and Centerville Lakes: Excess Nutrients (Peltier and Centerville Lakes) (Metro) | 2013-11-25 | TBD | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Buffalo Creek — South Fork Crow River: Bacteria | 2013-12-3 | TBD | Upper Mississippi Basin |
| Poplar River: Turbidity | 2013-12-11 | 2014-02-6 | Lake Superior Basin |
| Cottonwood River: Fecal Coliform | 2014-01-8 | TBD | Minnesota River Basin |
| Redwood River: Fecal Coliform | 2014-01-21 | TBD | Minnesota River Basin |
| Lura Lake: Excess Nutrients | 2014-02-19 | TBD | Minnesota River Basin |
| Minnehaha Creek Bacteria and Lake Hiawatha Excess Nutrients (Metro) | 2014-02-24 | TBD | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Snake River Watershed | 2014-03-31 | TBD | St. Croix River Basin |
| Vadnais Lake Area WMO: TMDL and Protection Study | 2014-04-3 | 2014-07-25 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Sunrise Watershed TMDL: Multiple Impairments | 2014-04-28 | TBD | St. Croix River Basin |
| Upper Minnehaha Creek Watershed Lakes and Bacteria (Metro) | 2014-06-26 | 2014-09-12 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Upper Cannon Lakes: Excess Nutrients (Lake Volney) | 2014-09-2 | TBD | Lower Mississippi River Basin |
| Upper Cannon Lakes: Excess Nutrients (Jefferson-German Lake Chain) | 2014-09-2 | TBD | Lower Mississippi River Basin |
| Chippewa River: Turbidity | 2014-09-29 | 2016-02-29 | Minnesota River Basin |
| Crow Wing Watershed TMDLs: Multiple Impairments | 2014-11-19 | TBD | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Upper Mississippi River: Bacteria | 2014-11-20 | 2016-02-18 | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Lower Mississippi River WMO Watershed WRAPS/TMDL | 2014-11-24 | TBD | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Rice Creek Watershed District SW Urban Lakes | 2015-02-26 | TBD | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| North Fork Crow River Watershed WRAPS/TMDL | 2015-05-8 | TBD | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Mississippi River — St. Cloud Watershed WRAPS/TMDL | 2015-05-14 | TBD | Upper Mississippi River Basin |
| Mississippi River - Lake Pepin Watershed WRAPS/TMDL | 2015-08-18 | TBD | Lower Mississippi River Basin |
| Pomme de Terre River Watershed TMDL | 2015-08-26 | TBD | Minnesota River Basin |
| Vermillion River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL | 2015-12-21 | TBD | Lower Mississippi River Basin |
| Goose Creek Watershed | 2016-02-5 | St. Croix River Basin | |
| Le Sueur River Watershed WRAPS and TMDL | 2016-03-15 | Minnesota River Basin | |
| Eagan Lakes TMDL | 2015-12-21 | Minnesota River Basin | |
| South Metro Mississippi River TMDL (Metro) | 2016-04-26 | Upper Mississippi River Basin | |
| Twin Cities Metro Area Chloride TMDL | 2016-06-9 | 2016-02-26 | Multiple basins |
| Valley Branch Watershed District | 2016-03-08 | St. Croix River Basin | |
| Mississippi River - Winona Watershed | 2016-07-15 | Lower Mississippi River Basin | |
| St. Clair Lake - Otter Tail River Watershed | 2016-08-04 | Red River Basin |
TMDLs underway
TMDLs projects typically require three to four years to complete. Each project page listed is linked to its individual web page to provide more specific information and staff contacts. Some of the project pages are still under construction.
Lake Superior Basin
Lower Mississippi River Basin
Minnesota River Basin
- Cottonwood River: Turbidity
- Hawk Creek - Beaver Creek Watershed TMDL Project: Turbidity and Fecal Coliform
- High Island Creek (Turbidity and Impaired Biota) and Rush River (Turbidity) Watersheds TMDL
- Redwood River: Turbidity
Missouri and Des Moines River Basins
- None at this time
Red River Basin
- Clearwater River: Dissolved Oxygen and Fecal Coliform
- Red River- Moorhead: Ammonia
- Red River- Moorhead: Fecal Coliform
- Red River Basin: Turbidity
Rainy River Basin
- Baudette River: Dissolved Oxygen
- Little Fork River: Turbidity
- Williams Creek: Dissolved Oxygen
St. Croix River Basin
- None at this time
Twin Cities Metropolitan Area Watersheds
- Beaver Lake: Excess Nutrients (Metro)
- Credit River: Turbidity (Metro)
- Sand Creek Watershed: Multiple Impairments