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The Red Cedar River Basin has been the focus of much interest in water resource management issues. At the present time, indeviduals in the basin are involved in the development of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). The TMDL project is designed to establish specific water quality goals for the basin and coordinate management efforts to achieve these goals. For general information on TMDLs click on the FAQs link.
History of the Red Cedar River Basin TMDL project
In 1998, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) submitted a list of impaired waterbodies to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as required by Section 303(d) of the Federal Clean Water Act. This 303(d) list identifies waters that are currently not meeting water quality criteria for specific substances or uses. Tainter Lake, Lake Menomin and a portion of the Red Cedar River are on the state impaired waters list because of water quality problems due to high levels of phosphorus.
The DNR is required to develop a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for each of the waters on the 303d list. A TMDL is the maximum amount of pollutants a river or lake can receive and still meet water quality standards. The TMDL process will determine pollutant loads and sources causing the impairment, and identify management activities to reduce or eliminate these water quality problems. The ultimate goal of the TMDL is to improve water quality sufficiently to remove waterbodies from the impaired waters list.
Water quality monitoring conducted during 1989-1990 has been used as a starting point for developing the Red Cedar Basin TMDL. During that year of monitoring, DNR found that Tainter Lake received about 700,000 pounds of phosphorus from its watershed. Of the total phosphorus load, about 10% was from point sources (municipal and industrial outfalls) and the remaining 90% was from nonpoint sources (agricultural and urban runoff).
This massive amount of phosphorus causes severe algae blooms in Tainter Lake and Lake Menomin during the summer months. These algae blooms also cause an increase in the lake's pH (a measure of acidity) which can be toxic to some aquatic organisms.
Who's involved with the TMDL project
A work group has been meeting since November 2001 to develop a TMDL for Tainter Lake and Lake Menomin. The work group is made up of representatives from lake associations, government agencies, industry and private individuals. During development of a TMDL for the Red Cedar River basin, water quality goals will be established to help improve problems due to excessive algae in the lakes. The TMDL will also include an implementation strategy that identifies what needs to be done, and by whom, in order to achieve the goals.
The goal of the TMDL is to significantly reduce the frequency and severity of algal blooms in Tainter Lake and Lake Menomin, which will also reduce pH problems in the lakes. Using the earlier data, the work group set a preliminary goal of reducing the annual load of phosphorus to the lakes by 45%. Based on computer model projections, this level of phosphorus reduction would be expected to reduce chlorophyll levels (a measure of algal growth) by about 50%, increase the average summer water clarity by about 1.5 feet, and reduce or eliminate the high pH problems.
In order to achieve a 45% reduction of phosphorus across the basin, significant efforts will need to be made to reduce loads from both point and nonpoint sources. Through the implementation of statewide rules on phosphorus discharges, point sources have actually reduced their phosphorus loads in the basin by 58% since 1990. As the point sources are currently below the 45% preliminary reduction goal, there is some phosphorus load allocation available to allow for future growth of communities before additional controls will be needed.
Significant reductions in nonpoint source loading can be achieved by implementing best management practices (BMPs) throughout the basin in both rural and urban areas. These BMPs include practices like reduced tillage, contour strips, stormwater management, conservation buffers and nutrient management. Portions of the Red Cedar River Basin have already been the focus of two Nonpoint Source Priority Watersheds since 1990, including the Yellow River watershed and the South Fork Hay River watershed. These Priority Watersheds have provided cost sharing to landowners to install BMPs. In order to achieve the goal of a 45% reduction in phosphorus loading, the entire basin will need to install BMPs at a level comparable to that achieved in the Priority Watersheds.
The TMDL work group is currently developing a plan that will direct water quality management activities in the basin over the next 10 years to help meet the project goals.
The next step is to get more public input from residents in the basin and interested individuals by conducting informational meetings in Rice Lake and Menomonie during November. The purpose of these meetings is to explain the Red Cedar Basin TMDL and get input from the public about the goals and management strategies that have been identified for the project.
Interested individuals had the opportunity to learn more about the TMDL project at two informational meetings held in the fall of 2002.
November 14th Dunn County Judicial Center in Menomonie 3:00 - 7:00 pm
November 19th WI Indianhead Technical College in Rice Lake 3:00 - 7:00 pm
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