Big news for a big river: how to save Lake Pepin
For the last four years, FMR and others have been grappling with perhaps the biggest and most ambitious plan to clean up the Mississippi River in modern times.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is working to develop large-scale pollution reduction targets for the Mississippi River and other tributaries in Minnesota.
The plan, dubbed the Lake Pepin TMDL, is aimed at protecting Lake Pepin (a large in-channel pool in the river by Lake City, MN) from sediment and excess nutrients that flow into the lake from the Mississippi River watershed.
The plan includes making major reductions in sediment and nutrient flows in the Mississippi, Minnesota, St. Croix, Vermillion and Cannon Rivers, as well as major improvements in urban storm-water management and waste-water treatment facilities.
And it's big news because these are big reductions. The draft plan calls for 50% reductions in sediment and phosphorous in the Minnesota and Cannon rivers. The Minnesota, St. Croix, Vermillion and other rivers will be required to meet 20% reductions in sediment and phosphorous.
So are we on the right track? Is the MPCAs implementation plan going to work? Will this plan earn the support from Minnesotans that it needs to finally clean up our Mississippi River?
These questions will be answered when we get our first chance to hear from you at our public hearing. FMR is co-sponsoring the MPCAs Lake Pepin TMDL Public Hearing on September 16th. Its free, everyone is welcome, and its your first and best chance to learn about this project and how it might change the state of Minnesotas waters for generations to come.
Lake Pepin TMDL Public Hearing - hearing rescheduled - date TBD
Date:September 16th, 2009
Time:2:00pm to 7:00pm
Location: Thompson Park Center Dakota Lodge
Address: 1200 Stassen Lane
West St. Paul, MN 55118
Directions
We encourage all to attend. Keep checking your Mississippi Messages is August and September for much more information about this project and what it may mean for the future of water resources in Minnesota.
For more information about the project or for questions about the Lake Pepin TMDL Public Hearing, please contact FMRs Trevor Russell at (651) 222-2193 x18 or via email using our contact form.