322 Chapter Twelve State and Territory Summaries 272 miles of Lake Superior shoreline Minnesota have fish consumption advisories. These advisories recommend some limits on fish meals consumed for certain species and size classes. Most of the pollution originated from point sources has been con- trolled, but runoff (especially in agricultural regions) still degrades water quality. Ground Water Quality Ground water supplies the drinking water needs of 70% of Minnesota’s population. The Minne- sota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) Ground Water Monitoring and Assessment Program evaluates the quality of ground water. The program published several major Percent of Assessed Rivers, Lakes, and reports in 1998, including statewide Estuaries Meeting All Designated Uses assessments of 100+ ground water 80% - 100% Meeting All Uses 50% - 79% Meeting All Uses constituents and of nitrates specifi- 20% - 49% Meeting All Uses cally. The program has now shifted 0% - 19% Meeting All Uses emphasis to problem investigation Insufficient Assessment Coverage Basin Boundaries and effectiveness monitoring, at (USGS 8-Digit Hydrologic Unit) local and small-regional scales. For a copy of the Minnesota 1998 Surface Water Quality Programs to Restore 305(b) report, contact: Water Quality As part of its basin manage- Elizabeth Brinsmade ment approach, Minnesota reported Basin Information Documents Minnesota Pollution Control Agency on three basins for the state’s 1998 (BIDs) will include the 305b water- Water Quality Division 305(b) report—the Upper Missis- body assessments as well as infor- 520 Lafayette Road North sippi, Lower Mississippi, and St. mation on a wide variety of water St. Paul, MN 55155 Croix River basins. More than 50% resource issues and subjects. The (612) 296-7312 of the state-assessed river miles have BIDs will also include GIS maps e-mail: elizabeth.brinsmade@pca. good quality that fully supports depicting the locations of permitted state.mn.us aquatic life uses, and 26% of the feedlots in the state system and state-assessed rivers and over 67% relative numbers of animal units per of the state-assessed lake acres fully feedlot by major watershed. Based support swimming. The most com- on the BIDs, teams will target spe- mon problems identified in rivers cific waterbodies and watersheds for are bacteria, turbidity, nutrients, protection, restoration, or monitor- siltation, and dissolved oxygen. ing. Specific strategies will be Nonpoint sources generate most of spelled out. the pollution in rivers. Minnesota’s Chapter Twelve State and Territory Summaries 323 Programs to Assess Individual Use Support in Minnesota Water Quality Percent In the 1998 assessments, in Good Good Fair Poor Not (Fully (Threatened) (Partially (Not addition to monitoring data col- a Attainable Designated Use Supporting) Supporting) Supporting) lected by MPCA, data from the Metropolitan Council, U.S. Geo- Rivers and Streams (Total Miles = 91,944)b logical Survey, Long-Term Resource Monitoring Project, Mississippi Total Miles Assessed Headwaters Board, local Clean Water 42 35 14 Partnership projects and Hennepin 11,979 9 1 County were used. Minnesota maintains an Ambi- ent Stream Monitoring Program with 82 sampling stations, and ---- -- approximately 40 sites are visited each year. The state also performs 63 fish tissue sampling, sediment moni- 26 toring, intensive surveys, and lake 7,359 0 9 1 assessments and supports a citizen lake monitoring program. Lakes (Total Acres = 3,290,101) In 1996, Minnesota piloted Total Acres a statistically based water quality Assessed monitoring program in the St. Croix River basin. The program used multi- ---- -- ple indicators to evaluate resource quality including fish and macroin- vertebrate community structure, habitat, flow and basic water chem- ---- -- istry. Additional sites provided the data to develop regional biocriteria. 58 The state is developing biologi- 20 2,531,239 9 13 0 cal assessment methods and criteria for depressional and riparian wet- Great Lakes (Total Shore Miles = 272) lands. A pilot effort is underway to develop a citizen wetland assess- Total Shore ment program in cooperation with Miles Assessed selected local governments. ---- -- The MPCA continues to be involved with field investigations into the cause of frog malformities. Partnerships with the National ---- -- Institute of Environmental Health and the USGS Water Resources Division and Biological Resources Division have been particularly useful ---- -- in carrying out teratogenic assays, histopathological studies, and water – Not reported in a quantifiable format or unknown. flow patterns at study sites. a A subset of Minnesota’s designated uses appear in this figure. Refer to the state’s 305(b) report for a full description of the state’s uses. bIncludes nonperennial streams that dry up and do not flow all year. Note: Figures may not add to 100% due to rounding. 324 Chapter Twelve State and Territory Summaries pesticides, and oxygen-depleting Mississippi substances are the most common pollutants, and agriculture is the dominant source of pollution in Mississippi’s lakes. Over 88% of assessed estuaries have good quality that fully sup- ports aquatic life uses. The most common pollutants in estuaries are organic enrichment, turbidity, and bacteria. The state attributes these pollutants to urban runoff/storm sewers, septic systems, and land disposal activities. Of the waters assessed for shellfish harvesting, 61% are listed as restricted or pro- hibited. Most of the restrictions are mandates by the state’s Shellfish Sanitation program. Twenty percent are classified as buffer zones border- ing ship channels, and most of the remainder is classified as restricted due to proximity to wastewater outfalls. The state has posted eight fish consumption advisories and three commercial fishing bans due to Basin Boundaries elevated concentrations of PCBs, (USGS 6-Digit Hydrologic Unit) PCP, dioxins, and/or mercury detected in fish tissues. For a copy of the Mississippi 1998 Mississippi did not report on the Surface Water Quality* condition of wetlands. 305(b) report, contact: Of the 46% of Mississippi’s Jeff Thomas river miles assessed (3% monitored Ground Water Quality Mississippi Department of and 43% evaluated), 94% have fair Environmental Quality water quality that partially supports Extensive contamination of P.O. Box 10385 aquatic life uses, and 1% have poor drinking water aquifers and public Jackson, MS 39289-0385 water quality that does not support water supplies is uncommon in (601) 961-5157 aquatic life uses. About 97% of the Mississippi although localized ground water contamination has e-mail: [email protected] assessed rivers are listed as not fully supporting swimming. The most been detected. The most frequently common pollutants include nutri- identified sources of contamination *Assessed river percentages presented in ents, pesticides, suspended solids, are leaky underground storage tanks this summary are based on the state’s and bacteria. Evaluative information and faulty septic systems. Brine con- electronic submittal of 305(b) data. Due suggests that agriculture is the most tamination is also a problem near oil to the state’s use of evaluated nonpoint common source of pollution in fields. Little data exist for domestic source assessment data, which focused rivers, followed by municipal sew- wells. Ground water protection pro- on potential problem areas (92% of the age treatment plants. grams include the Pesticide Con- total assessed river mileage), the result- Of the assessed lake acres, tainer Recycling, Underground ing 305(b) data are biased toward these about 98% have good water quality Storage Tank, Underground Injec- waters. These evaluated waters have no that fully support aquatic life uses, tion Control, Agrichemical Ground known monitoring data indicating and over 99% fully support swim- Water Monitoring, and Wellhead impairment. ming. Nutrients, metals, siltation, Protection Programs (approved by EPA in 1993). Chapter Twelve State and Territory Summaries 325 Programs to Restore Individual Use Support in Mississippi Water Quality Percent Mississippi developed and Good Good Fair Poor Not adopted (1994, after public review) (Fully (Threatened) (Partially (Not Attainable Designated Usea Supporting) Supporting) Supporting) comprehensive regulations for con- ducting Section 401 Water Quality Rivers and Streams (Total Miles = 84,003)b,c Certifications, enabling the state to review federal licenses and permits Total Miles 94 for compliance with state water Assessed quality standards. Mississippi also 38,711c 23 1 <1 expanded its definition of waters of the state to include wetlands and ground waters. 47 27 24 961 20 Programs to Assess 93 Water Quality c 1 4 Historically, the state annually 11,994 1 0 sampled about 25 of their 57 histor- ical fixed monitoring stations on a Lakes (Total Acres = 500,000) rotating schedule. The state has Total Acres been able to significantly expand its Assessed 66 fixed monitoring network to 143 32 2 stations statewide. 274,497 0 0 The state now monitors physical and chemical parameters monthly, 47 43 metals in the water column quarter- 272,337 10 <1 0 ly, and biological parameters once a year. Several stations are also sam- 100 pled annually for metals and pesti- cides in fish tissues. 31,923 0 <1 0 0 In 1997, the state also adopted its Basinwide Approach to water Estuaries (Total Square Miles = 760) quality management.This basinwide approach is supported by a rotating Total Square 79 basin fixed-station monitoring net- Miles Assessed work that augments the statewide 10 11 network of ambient monitoring 199 0 0 stations. 57 43 50 0 00 – Not reported in a quantifiable format or unknown. a A subset of Mississippi’s designated uses 61 appear in this figure. Refer to the state’s 34 305(b) report for a full description of the 43 5 00 state’s uses. b Includes nonperennial streams that dry up 65 and do not flow all year. c 28 Mississippi notes its assessments are biased 3397 0 0 due to the state’s extensive use of evaluated nonpoint source assessment data, which focused on problem areas. Note: Figures may not add to 100% due to rounding.