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Minnesotas rivers, streams and lakes are a valuable resource for the state. Not only do they provide great natural beauty but they also supply the water necessary for recreation, industry, agriculture and aquatic life. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is the state agency responsible for protecting Minnesotas water quality.

Minnesota submitted its most recent 303(d) list to USEPA in 1998. The list was prepared utilizing, where available, ten years of monitoring data for dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, unionized ammonia, metals, and fecal coliform, from October 1986 to September 30, 1996. The list shows that currently some of Minnesotas water resources cannot meet their designated uses because of pollution problems from a combination of point and nonpoint sources.

The goals of this paper are to provide an overview of the general health of the Minnesota waterways and the listing methodology, describe Minnesotas approaches to TMDL, and share our experience with TMDL projects.