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. States submit their lists to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency every two years.
The Vermillion River main stem, tributaries, and several lakes are listed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) as impaired as of 2024.
The MPCA and VRWJPO have completed studies that identified what pollutants cause the most stress to fish and macroinvertebrates and set targets (known as total maximum daily loads (TMDLs)) for reducing those pollutants. Waters on the Impaired Waters List must implement TMDLs. These targets are incorporated into our Watershed Management Plan to guide our work.