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Residents Ready To Help Lakes Heal
Pope County Tribune - Starbuck Times
Written by Zach Anderson - Starbuck Times New Editor   
Wednesday, 20 May 2009 11:36


The amount of phosphorus in a lake controls the amount of algae bloom that makes lakes look like giant bowls of pea soup.

The data gathered from the study will reveal where the phosphorus is coming from and where reductions need to be made for the lakes to return to healthy levels.

The Federal Clean Water Act requires states to identify and restore impaired waters, and this study is the first step in restoring the local lakes, according to Tim James, Project Manager with the MPCA.

Study specifics

The Pope County 8 Lake TMDL Study started late last year and 2011 is the MPCA's deadline.

The study has been divided into two parts:


• Part 1 (2008-June 2009)


-Data collection

-Phosphorus source inventory

-Initial stakeholder input

• Part 2 (July 2009-2011)


-In-lake analysis

-Develop TMDL equation

-Implementation plans developed

-Stakeholder input

-Study review

A Twin Cities-based consulting firm has been hired to collect the study's data. Much of the information that will be used in the study comes from the data compiled by the Pope County Coalition of Lakes Associations (COLA) over the last 10 years.

The study will use data mined from these sources, as well: Watershed data, lake data, water chemistry, fisheries, aquatic plants, existing studies, permitted activities, land uses, individual sewage treatment systems and groundwater.

Advisory group


During Tuesday's informational meeting, study leaders asked people to consider signing on as advisory committee members.

The committee will be charged with taking the study results and developing a localized implementation plan to bring back the lakes to meet water quality standards.

Once the implementation plan is set in motion, James said it will likely take 20 years to bring the lakes back.

Funding for the steps to decrease phosphorus will likely come from the sales tax increase Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, James said.

"This study is positioned pretty well because I think it will take a few years to work out the bugs on how the [amendment money] will be spent. By 2011, it looks like a promising future for the funding," James told the crowd Tuesday.

By the end of Tuesday's meeting, several people signed up to serve as advisory committee members.