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.

Water pollution isn’t just bad for wildlife – it’s harmful to humans too. Check out this resource from Consumer Notice on protecting yourself.

We have heard from many community members concerned about “forever chemicals” in drinking water (groundwater) and surface water. These chemicals are also known as per- or polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances and include more than 9,000 human-made chemicals. They have been used since the 1940s in a wide variety of consumer products.

One of our watershed’s communities, the City of Hastings, has been found to have municipal drinking water wells with PFAS levels above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s drinking water standards.

VRWJPO is participating in Dakota County’s Emerging Contaminants Working Group to learn more about these chemicals and how we can comprehensively protect people from health risks. In the meantime, there are things you can do at home to reduce PFAS exposure. Check Dakota County’s PFAS advisory web page for tips, as well as the Minnesota Department of Health’s PFAS page for water testing options.

Impaired Waters List