Areas that Discharge into Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) Impaired Waters

Areas that Discharge into Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) Impaired Waters

Section 23 of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Construction Stormwater General Permit requires additional Best Management Practices (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 (UMD) discharges storm water to several streams considered impaired waters as listed in MPCA 2024 Impaired Waters 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.” 

The following UMD areas have approved Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL).  

  • The north side of Campus that discharges to Tischer Creek for E.coli 
  • The southwest side of Glensheen that discharges to Tischer Creek for E.coli
  • All of the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) proerty discharges to Miller Creek for Temperature and E.coli
  • The east side of Limnology that discharges to Lester River for Total Suspended Solids 
  • All of Research and Field Studies Center discharges to Amity Creek for 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.

Watershed maps are only available in PDF format. For additional information or potential accommodations, contact Erik Larson at 218-726-6915 or [email protected].

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.