Fecal Coliform TMDL

Fecal Coliform Impairment
The stretch of the Pomme de Terre from Muddy Creek to Marsh Lake was designated by the EPA as impaired for high levels of fecal coliform. The Pomme de Terre River Association began working on a TMDL project to restore water quality in the river.

A fecal coliform TMDL Report was approved by the EPA in December 2007. An implementation plan has been approved and identifies specific practical management strategies needed for the water body to meet the water quality standards and become delisted as an impaired waters.

EPA Section 319 Money Available Now!
The Pomme de Terre River Watershed Project recently received funding through Section 319 of the Federal Clean Water Act to implement Best Management Practices on land within the Pomme de Terre watershed.

You can access the full TMDL Report and other information about the Fecal Coliform TMDL on the MPCA's web site.
The MPCA also has a Fecal Coliform Fact Sheet available online.

Project Background
During the period from October 5, 1983 to September 27, 1993, 74 fecal coliform observations and samples were done at the bottom of the Pomme de Terre Watershed at the USGS gauging site in Appleton, Minnesota. Of these samples, 23 were greater than 200 cfus/100ml. These samples containing excessive amounts of fecal coliform were all taken in the months from August to October. This data put the stretch of the Pomme de Terre, from Muddy Creek in Stevens County to Marsh Lake, on the EPA’s impaired waters list under the 303(d) list. However, the data does not represent the effect that Muddy Creek has on the level of fecal coliform bacteria found in the river, and more research was needed to determine that.

After data compilation, the Pomme de Terre Technical Advisory Committee determined that, although there is a large amount of water quality data, additional information is needed to make sound assessments of the watershed. Information currently being gathered includes flow data and water quality samples from both north and south of the Muddy Creek input into the Pomme de Terre. Water quality samples are being analyzed for total Phosphorus, Nitrate-Nitrogen, Nitrite-Nitrogen, total suspended solids, turbidity, and fecal coliform. Water quality samples and other information will be compiled into a TMDL report that will list sources of increased fecal material and best management practices for lowering levels of fecal coliform and returning the Pomme de Terre to a healthy state.

The focus of this project is to better characterize fecal coliform levels, identify the probable sources, and estimate the reduction required to meet TMDL water quality standards. The entirety of the project includes identifying and quantifying the point and nonpoint sources of fecal coliform and linking these sources to the river concentrations. The project has three goals. The first is the analysis of data that put the Pomme de Terre on the impaired waters list. Second, the effects of Muddy Creek on the lower Pomme de Terre watershed will be analyzed. The third goal is to develop and initiate an implementation plan to attain and maintain water quality standards of fecal coliform bacteria in the river.