Impaired Waters

The federal Clean Water Act requires states to identify and list water bodies that are impaired, meaning they do not meet state standards for clean water.

The Vermillion River main stem, tributaries, and several lakes are listed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) as impaired.

The MPCA and the VRWJPO completed studies that identified what pollutants cause the most stress to fish and macroinvertebrates and set targets (known as total maximum daily loads (TMDL)) for reducing those pollutants. These targets are incorporated into a Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS), which details how we plan to protect clean water and restore impaired water resources.