Areas that Discharge into Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) Impaired Waters
Section 23 of the MPCA Construction Stormwater General Permit requires additional BMPs for discharges from the project site within one mile (aerial radius) of a special or impaired waters that then drains to those waters. The University of Minnesota Duluth discharges storm water to several streams considered impaired waters as listed in MPCA 2022 tmdl-303d list.
According to the MPCA “The TMDL defines how much of a pollutant would be the maximum amount that could be discharged daily into a water resource from all sources in a surrounding area, while still allowing the water to be used for drinking water, fishing, swimming and other purposes.” For more information on total maximum daily loads and Minnesota’s waterways see http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/tmdl.html
The following properties have approved Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL).
These properties include:
- Campus (North Side) – Tischer Creek – E.coli
- Campus (South West Corner) – Chester Creek – E.coli
- Glensheen (South West Quarter) – Tischer Creek – E.coli
- NRRI – Miller Creek – Temperature
- NRRI – Miller Creek – E.coli
- Limnology (East Side) – Lester River – Total Suspended Solids
- Research and Field Studies Center – Amity Creek – Total Suspended Solids
- The RFSC is located outside the urban area of Duluth and therefore is not specifically included in the UMD stormwater program, however any project requiring an MPCA Construction Stormwater permit, regardless of its location, still must comply with all aspects of the permit.
When an MPCA Construction permit is required for any project within these watersheds the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan must meet or exceed the requirements of Section 23.7 of the MPCA permit # MNR100001 (Construction Stormwater General Permit) and any additional construction related requirements in a University of Minnesota Duluth TMDL Response Plan as required in Section 22 of the MPCA permit # MNR040000 (MS4 General Permit).
New or fully reconstructed projects of less than one acre that require a grading permit should include appropriate BMPs so that the project does not negatively impact University compliance with the TMDL requirements and preferably improves TMDL compliance per any associated University of Minnesota Duluth TMDL Response Plan.