-------
1032
WATER QUALITY SAMPLING PROGRAM
I960 and 1961
Total Total
Gross Dissolved Gross Suspended Gross Gross
Station and Date Beta Alpha Beta Alpha Beta Alpha
Mississippi River
Anoka. UM-14. Bridge on U.S.H. 169 at Anoka
May 18, I960 14 IFB
Sept. 9, I960 4 IFB
Feb. 6, 1961 IFB 16
Aug. 29, 1961 40 15
Elk River. DM 26.7. Bridge on S.H. 101 at Elk River
May 18, I960IFB IFB
Sept. 29, I960 4 4
Feb. 17, 1961 9 9
April 6, 1961 21 4
Aug. 29, 1961 144 23
Minneapolis, at Minneapolis water works intake.
Jan. 5, I960121.0
Jan. 12, I960 7
Jan. 20, I960 17
Jan. 26, I960 14
Feb. 3, I960 18
Feb. 8, I960 12
Feb. 16, I960 4
Feb. 23, I960 8 1.0
March 2, I960 8
-------
1033
WATER QUALITY SAMPLING PROGRAM
1960 and 1961
Station and Date
Total
Gross
Beta
Dissolved Gross
Alpha Beta
Suspended Gross
Alpha Beta
Total
Gross
Alpha
River (cont.)
Mpls. (cont.) March 8, I960
March 17, I960
March 23, I960
March 29, I960
April 6, I960
April 11, I960
April 19, I960
April 28, I960
May 5, I960
May 10, I960
May 18, I960
St. Cloud. Water Treatment
Jan. 14, I960
• Feb. 23, I960
March 8, I960
April 6, I960
May 10, I960
June 27, I960
June 14, I960
Aug 29, I960
Sept. 7, I960
Oct. 11, I960
.5
1
25
17
19
20
24
12
16
44
6
Plant Raw Water Intake
11
17
13
18
IFB
22
7
33
6
31
.28
14
2.0
16
1.6
1.1
-------
1034
WATER QUALITY SAMPLING PROGRAM
I960 and 1961
Total Total
Gross Dissolved Gross Suspended Gross Gross
Station and Date Beta Alpha Beta Alpha Beta Alpha
Nov. 10, I960 9
Dec. 1, I960 IB
Jan. 10, 1961 12
Feb. 7, 1961 9
March 13, 1961 8
April 11, 1961 8
May 22, 1961 13
June 5, 1961 16
July 3, 1961 6
Aug. 7, 1961 6
Sept. 8, 1961 60
Oct. 4, 1961 60
Nov. U, 1961 85
Nov. 29, 1961 34
esiasippi River (cent.)
-------
1035
EXHIBIT XIX
Summary Report
on the
Pollution Statue of the Mississippi River
and Major Tributaries from
the Mouth of the Rum River to the Outlet of Lake Pepln
Prepared for the
Minnesota water Pollution Control Commission
by the
Section of Water Pollution Control
Minnesota Department of Health
(technical and administrative
agency for the Commission)
-------
1036
MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OP HEALTH
Division of Environmental Sanitation
Section of Water Pollution Control
¥?1§SISSIPPI RIVER
The Mississippi River rises in Hernando de Soto
Lake in northeastern Becker County and flows 2,36^ milea j
i
I
to the Gulf of Mexico. Approximately 510 miles of its
course is above the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. In the
upper section of the river the flow is predominantly through
forest and farm lands. In the metropolitan area the river
flows through highly developed residential and industrial I
i
areas, and downstream it again flows through wooded terrain j
and farm lands.
Samples have been collected on the Mississippi
River as a part of the Water Quality Sampling Program,
Minnesota Lakes and Streams. For the data from Stations
UM-14 at Anoka, IM-38 at Hastings, and IM-124 at Winona,
daring 1962-63, aee the attached sheets.
The reach of the river of immediate concern Is
from the rnouth of the Rum River downstream to the mouth of
the Chippewa River. A survey of the Mississippi River
from the mouth of the Rum River to the mouth of the St.
Croix River was made by this Department during the summers
-------
1037
of I960 and 1961, and provided a basis for the classifica-
tions and standards subsequently adopted by the Water
Pollution Control Commission. The results of this survey
are presented in the report entitled, "Report on Investigatioh
i
of the Mississippi River from the Mouth of the Run River to
the Mouth of the St. Crolx River, July and August, I960, and j
August and September, 1961." This report lists all discharges
i
to the river in this reach and the treatment provided at i
i
that time.
Substantial work has also been sponsored by the
Minneapolls-St. Paul Sanitary District, and is presented in
a comprehensive report entitled "Pollution and Recovery
Characteristics of the Mississippi River, 1961." This study j
<
i
encompasses river conditions from the northern part of ]
Minneapolis through Lake Pepin.
Current data on separate sources on the main
stem of the reach under consideration and significant
tributaries are provided in the attached summary tables, but
the general discussion of river conditions is restricted in
the main to the reach from the mouth of the St. Croix River
to the outlet of Lake Pepin, in order to avoid duplicating
the material in the 1960-61 report. The interpretations of
j
i
river conditions and value Judgments are based on all the
data and information currently available to this Department.
Discussion is limited to discharges of some significance
-------
I
1038
to the Mississippi River.
Uses of the River
The present and future uses of the Mississippi
i
River in the reach under consideration are not expected to !
I
change significantly in kind, but the uses will Increase j
s
considerably in most cases in the future. These uses include'!
!
j
water supply, recreation, power generation, navigation, and
disposal of treated sewage and wastes.
Considerable improvement is expected in the
treatment of sewage and wastes in the Metropolitan Area in j
i
the near future so that conflicts in the use of the river j
!
for waste disposal and for other purposes will be minimized, |
but the use of the river for the ultimate disposal of treated!
sewage and waste effluents will continue to be a major
necessary use in the future. Such uses can be held within
limits from the viewpoint of possible conflicts, but cannot
under any foreseeable circumstances ever be eliminated.
Disposal of treated effluents is a basic necessity to main-
tenance of civilized life in the area.
The cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are the
only communities which obtain their municipal water supplies
from the Mississippi River. Their Intakes are located on
the extreme upper reach of the river, north of Minneapolis.
-------
1039
Many suburban communities obtain their water supplies
wholly or in part from either Minneapolis or St. Paul. Use
of river water by industries in the area is substantial
but is limited primarily to cooling water, because industrial
process water requirements can be easily satisfied either
by municipal supplies or by the abundant and renewable
reserves of high quality ground water which are available
throughout the area. The future use of the upper river
for water supply will, without doubt, continue to increase
in the future as the population increases. The use of the
mid-city and lower reaches of the river for municipal or
Industrial water supply other than cooling and condensing
or similar relatively low quality uses is considered highly
unlikely in the foreseeable future.
Hydroelectric power generation in the river
in this area is not a major river use and is not likely to
increase. Most of the production of electric power is done
by steam plants and this is likely to continue to be the
case, whether fossil or nuclear fuels are used. Expansion
of the existing steam plants and construction of new plants
in the vicinity will require Increasingly large amounts of
relatively low quality water for condensing. This use Is
largely non-consumptive, although this may be changed some-
what by the us* of cooling towers which nay be required
for purposes of heat dissipation.
-------
1040
Commercial barge traffic on the Mississippi
River in this reach last year amounted to 9*949,405 tons,
with the major commodities shipped being coal, grain,
gasoline, and fuel oils, in decreasing order. This traffic
increased some 1,000,000 tons over 1962. It a expected to
continue to increase in the future.
Analytical Data
The following table lists the total coliform
count expressed as the MPN/100 ml (most probable number
per 100 milliliters), for samples collected by this Depart-
ment at the indicated stations (largely from WQSP data,
since 1953):
Station
No. of
Samples
UM-14 Anoka
LM-38 Hastings
IK-124 Winona
Total Coliforms (MPN/100 ml)
Min. Max. Mean Median
64 230 92,000 7,050 4,600
27 2,300 9,200,000 *»37,8ll 34,000
3 790 6,300 1,060 1,100
These values indicate that the Mississippi River
at Anoka is somewhat contaminated, and is much more so at
-------
1041 I
i
Hastings, but that by the time it reaches Winona it has ]
i
recovered in large measure from the upstream bacterial j
i
i.
pollution. The values obtained at Winona are indicative j
of a moderate degree of contamination. j
i
j
The mean dissolved oxygen values at the Anoka, !
Hastings, and Winona sampling stations were h.9, ';.•'>, and i
(
<3.3 mg/1 (milligrams per iJter) respectively. The follow:ng !
table lists these along w. th the minimum arid maximum values: ;
No. of ___ ^Dissolved Oxyger (n>g_/l_)__
Mln . X- Mean
UM-14 (Anoka) 64 5.3 15.0 £.P
LM-38 (Hastings) 29 0.3 1^.6 .0
LM-124 (Winona) 1 7.°> t\6 b.3
The samples collected at £noka and w.'.nor.a show :
the presence of sufficient dissolved oxygen for aquatic life,i
i
but the samples collected at Hastings show serious oxygen i
i
depletion at times. This indicates that there is serious i
j
organic overloading of the rjver upstream of Hastings which ;
t
i
the r'ver Is not able to assimilate,
A summary of the 5-day BOD (biochemical oxygen
demand) of the samples collected is presented in the following
-------
table:
1042
Station
UM-14 (Anoka)
LM-38 (Hastings)
LM-121* (Winona)
No. of
Samples
65
29
3
Min.
0.1
4.0
3-0
5 -Day BOD
Max.
7.0
16.0
6.8
Mean
3.2
6.9
4.5
The values obtained at the Anoka station are
moderate, and not necessarily Indicative of man-made pollu-
tion. The BOD values at the Hastings station are
relatively high and indicative of the substantial waste load
discharged to the river upstream. The values for the
Winona station show that considerable improvement has taken
place by the time the river reaches iflnor.a.
The remaining analytical data substantiate the
conclusions derived from the bacteriological, dissolved
oxygen, and biochemical oxygen demand data, i.e., that the
Mississippi River is in fair condition at Anoka and Winona,
but that there is a substantial pollution load discharged to
the river upstream from Hastings, which has a deleterious
effect. For example, the mean suspended solids concentra-
tions at Anoka, Hastings, and Winona were 1.9, 40 and 16
mg/1 respectively, and the turbidity values were 14, 26 and
-------
1043
11, respectively.
Changes in Sewage and Waste Treatment and River Conditions
The MSSD (Minneapolis-3t. faul San'.tary District)
is presently undergoing an extensive expansion to Increase
the capacity of the existing primary plant and add a
secondary high-rate activated sludge unit. The new plant
is designed for a flow of 218 mgd (million gallons/day)
with a 5-day BOD of 260 mg/1. The flow la now about 180
mgd with a 5-day BOD of about 200 mg/1. The BOD removal
efficiency will rise from 32 percent to aboi't 75 percent,
which will produce ar. effluent of approximately 64 mg/1.
The projected design period is for 20 years, or to the year j
*
t
1980 based on the anticipated growth of the Twin Cities and !
i
suburbs under contract at the time the design was established.
i
Since that time contracts have been negotiated with 0 number i
i
of other suburbs and the North Suburban Sanitary Sewer !
District and such contracting is expected to continue in
I
the future and to reduce the design period.
With the completion of the current enlargement
of the MSSD plant, a very substantial improvement in the
condition of the Mississippi River below the treatment
plant is expected, although the Improvement will occur
gradually over a period of time as sludge deposits are
-------
1044
dissipated. It should be noted also that the recently adoptejd
river classifications and standards require maintenance of
a minimum dissolved oxygen content in the river and optimum
operation of the treatment works at all times. In view of
the fact that the minimum dissolved oxygen content of one
tng/1 is tied to a once -in -20-year minimum daily river flow
(95 percent frequency) it is evident that the conditions
generally prevailing will undoubtedly be much better than
shown by the stated minimum oxyger. levels, but further
improvements will be necessary to maintain satisfactory
conditions on a long-term basis.
The South St. Paul sewage treatment plant was
expanded by adding an anaerobic effluent pond *n 1962.
The overall efficiency of thJs unit has not yet been
evaluated. At the present time, the South St. Paul sewage
plant treats about 13 mgd of sewage with a raw 5-day BOD
of approximately 1,350 mg/1. The reduction in BOD is about
68 percent for an effluent BOD of 490 mg/1, without the
anaerobic effluent pond. Improvement will res, It from the
use of the pond but the removal efficiency of the pond is
expected to be only 35 - 50 percent (of the plant effluent)
and the final effluent concentration will therefore not
yet be equivalent to that of the MSSD.
Maintenance of the dissolved oxygen content of
the river in relation to various degrees of treatment is
-------
1045
d< acluased thoroughly in the MSSD report on "Pollution and
Recovery Characteriafcics of the Miaalaaippi River." The
following two tablea, which were derived from this report,
show the degree of treatment neceaaary to maintain the
stated minimum of one mg/1 of disaolved oxygen in the
Hastings pool for various conditions of flow and river
temperature.
(Table 1 and Table 2 are as follows:)
-------
I2c"r . 1046
— o—
Table 1
Mississippi River Flow Conditions, (M 13.8)
1. Minimum recorded daily flow during critical months. (August, 1892-
1959) (February, 1924-9).
2. Minimum recorded daily flow for entire year.
3- Minimum daily flow exceeded 995^ of time for the critical months (occurs
once in 100 years ) .
4. Minimum daily flow exceeded 98/£ of time for the critical months (occurs
once in 50 years).
5. Minimum daily flow exceeded 95# of time for the critical months (occurs
once in 20 years). 5£ frequency. (1270)
6. Minimum 5-day period of flow exceeded 99# of time for the critical
months (occurs once in 100 years).
7. Minimum 5-day period of flow exceeded 98/£ of time for the critical
months (occurs once in 50 years).
8. Minimum 5-day period of flow exceeded 95/f of time for the critical
months (occurs once in 20 years).
Table 2
Treatment Requirements to Maintain One ppm
Dissolved Oxygen in the Hastings Pool
of the Mississippi River
_ Discharge, cfa _ Degree of
Unconnected Mpls. & St. Paul Corrected for Treatment
Misa. R. Flow for Water Water Usage Water Usage Required
Conditions. (M 13.8)* Usage _ 1980 2000 1980 2000 1960 2000
1. August 632 468 674 164 -42 95 100
February 1100 234 338 866 762 86 38.6
2. 632 468 674 164 -42 95 100
3. August 560 468 674 92 -114 96.5 100
February 575 234 338 341 237 96 97.5
4. August 790 468 674 322 116 93.4 96
February 740 234 338 506 402 92.7 94.7
5. August 1270 468 674 902 696 89.3 92.1
February 105O 234 338 816 712 8? 89.7
6. August 710 460 665 250 45 94.2 97
February 630 234 338 396 292 94.7 96.6
7. August 970 460 665 510 305 91.8 94-2
February 800 234 338 566 462 91.7 93-7
8. August 15OO 460 665 1040 8J5 87-5 90.5
Psbrusxy 1130 234 338 896 792 85.5 88.3
••Correspond to Table 1
-------
104? 1
When effective chlorinatlon of the effluent
IB provided at both the MSSD and South St. I'nul plants, a '<
marked improvement in the bacteriological quality of the :
entire lower river can be expected. However, the river in
the near reaoh below these outfalls cannot In all probability;
be maintained in such quality as to permit hath ing, swimming,:
or related recreational uses which involve prolonged .ntiraate
contact with the water, until adequate Control is provided
to eliminate a!3 upstream sewage discharges co the river
and tributaries from she storm sewers, combined sewers,
and sanitary sewer regulators In the nearby areas, and :
even thereafter the bather would remain exposed to the
hazards associated with unpredictable emergency by-passes
of sewage from the metropolitan area sewage treatment works ;
and collection systems.
The uses made of any river for recreation must
always be reasonably consistent with attainaole water
quality, physical conditions, and upstream river sages, and
this is also necessary with respect to the Mississippi River
in the Minneapolis -St. Paul area.
The bacterial quality of the river water in the
near reach below the Twin Cities is such now that recrea-
tional uses are limited. Disregarding the obvious hazards
of barge and boat traffic, currents, and visibility limited
by turbidity; swimming, and sometimes water skiing, involve
-------
1048
a contact with the water which la too intimate and prolonged
to be considered a reasonable use from a health standpoint.
This may well continue to be true Into the foreseeable
future in spite of planned improvements in upstream sewage
treatment, because of unavoidable and unpredictable dis-
charges of sewage and wastes from the sewerage works
In the metropolitan area and other sources.
Recreational boating la considered a reasonable
use of the boundary waters, but some health hazards may be
expected in the mid-city reach and the Hastings Pool for
some time. The interstate boundary waters, including the
Lake Pepin area, -an be expected to be safely used for
reasonable recreational boating when effective ehlorination
of all sewage and contaminated waste effluents is provided.
Pishing is light in most sections of this reach.
Above the Twin Cities the river supports a moderate but
significant sport fishery, but below the MSSD outfall the
fishery has been affected by pollution with attendant low
oxygen and tainting. The Lake Pepln area shows a partial
recovery of the ilshery and there a moderate sport fishery
again exists. It is felt that the adverse conditions
mentioned will become minimal in future years because of the
improvements In sewage and waste disposal which will be
made, many of which are underway. Existing sludge deposits
must, however, be scoured away and assimilated before
-------
1049
significant change* are likely to be noticeable and this may
take several years. Both oxygen depletion and fish tainting
are expected thereafter to be materially alleviated by the
planned sewage works improvements, since both are related i
basically to the presence of excessive concentrations of '
organic pollutants most of which are subject to destruction
j
by the biological methods of sewage treatment which are and !
wll] be used in thia area, i
-------
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-------
l8cwr
-10-
Interstate Conference on Mississippi River
Water Duality Data, Minor Tributaries*
(January, 1964)
Source, Sampling Period,
and Number of Samples
Rum River (1953-63, incl.)
48
Coon Creek (1960-1963)
13
Rice Creek (1960-1963)
19
Shingle Creek (1960-1963)
17
Baasetts Creek (1960-1963)
17
Minnehaha Creek (1960-1963)
13
Average Total
Colifonaa (MPN/100 ml)
3,200
9,100
2,700
336,000
666,000
35,500
Average Average 5-Oay
DO (mg/1) BOD (njg/1)
9.9
8.5
8.0
8.9
6.4
8.3
3.5
3.5
6.8
4.3
9.5
4.8
*from Water Quality Sampling Program and special surveys.
-------
1053
SEWAGE WORKS ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
Anoka
The Anoka sewage treatment plant was conBtructed '
In 1956 and is a secondary plant ;onsisting of a grit
chamber, primary settling tank, high rate trickling filters,
final settling t;anks, chlorination contact tank, and separate
sludge digestion tanks. The sewage treatment plant is
designed to treat sewage and waste flowing at the rate of
1.44 tngd with a 5-dav BOD of 300 mg/1 to produce ar. effluent
BOD of approximately 75 rag/1.
Minneapplia Combined Sewers
The Cit;-., of Minneapolis has an active five-year-
program in progress for the separation of Combined storm
and sanitary sewers. The table below indicates progress to
i
date and future plans. As the table indicates, the City of
Minneapolis is divided jnto two drainage areas designated
the upper pool and the lower pool. The division between
the upper pool and the lower pool is the St. Anthony Palls
Lock and Dam.
-------
1054
Upper
20cmr Pool Pool Total
Early 1?60
Total acres with sanitary sewers 5,584 22,126 27,710
Total acres atom drained** 3,128 12,719 15,847
Percent of total acreage storm
drained 56* 57.5* 57.2*
Total acres sewered 5,584 22,162 27,746
Total acres storm drained 3,161 13,326 16,487
Percent of total acreage storm
drained 56.6* 60.2* 59.5*
1962-63 program in progress 665 635
1963 225 0
1964 0 1117
1965 0 751
1966 525 0
1967 420 648
At End of 1967
Total acres sewered 5,584 22,162 27,746
Total acres storm drained 4,996 16,477 21,473
Percent of total acreage storm
drained 89.4* 74.5* 77-5*
*May be either separate or combined
**In these areas most of the sanitary sewers have been separated but a few storm
water entrances nay remain.
-------
St. Paul Combined Sewers
1055
i
The City of St. Paul has not yet adopted a long- ;
j
i
range plan for the separation of eomb.ned sewers, but is
proceeding with construction of separate storm sewers as
funds become available.
The ci.ty has spent, or awarded contracts -for,
about $10 million during the last 2 or 3 years. The major
portion of this expense was directed toward providing outlet
structures for future storm sewers. The ->lty is taking
advantage of the Interstate highway construction, program
and building separate storm sewers along these routes. In
new development areas, such as the Downtown Renewal Project,
the Riverview Industrial Park, and others, separate storm
sewers are planned or have already been constructed.
Where it is possible, all new connections to the city system
from the suburbs will be to separate sanitary sewers.
On May 1 of this year, the cit.v will begin a two-
year study of the entire sewer system to determine In which
areas of the c^ty the sewers can be separated most
economically. Prom this study, a possible program for the
future can be developed.
Minn«apolia-St. Paul Sanitary District
-------
1056
i
The existing sewage treatment plant was placed j
in operation during the summer of 1938. The plant was
designed for an average flow of 134 mgd which was expected
from a tributary population of 910,000 by the year 19^5.
It ordinarily provides primary treatment but ;an provide
a sl-ightly higher degree of treatment by means of chemical
flocculation. This part of the plant is used only during
unusually lc<. -jver flow conditions. ]>.ring 1962, the
average flow to the plant was 178 mgd from an estimated
tributary popular, or or 1,135,000. The raw sewage total
population equivalent was 1,690,000 (based on O.lR po nds
or BOD per iE)» (* 1,820,000 PE if based on 1/6 lb of
5-day BOD, which is used in the appended tables ) The
proposed alterations and additions will convert the plant
i
to a high-rate activated siud/je plant designed to provide •
i
secondary treatment; of sewage from the estimated 1980 i
i
population of 1,545.000 plus ar: Industrial waste populat or '
equivalent of 1,065,000, fo> a total population equivalent •
of 2,610,000. The service area will include a majority of
the suburban municipalities and the North Suburban Sanitary
Sewer District.
The annual average design flow Is 218 mgd with
a 5-day BOD of 260 mg/1. The plant is designed to produce
an «ffluent with a 5-day BOD of 64 mg/1. Construction of
the plant has been started and is expected to be completed
-------
1057
In 1966.
South St. JPaul_
This plant was constructed in 19^0. It
originally consisted of f». grit chamber, grease flotation
unit, flocculatlon tanks, primary sefctl'ng tanks, trickling
filters, final settling tanks, cMorlnatJon contact tanks,
and raw sludge lagoons. The plant was designed to treat
meat packing wastes and sewage at the rate of 10 rngd with a
raw 5-day BOP of 800 mg/1. An average BOD redu>t"on of
about 68 percent Is ordinarily achieved through '-.he
mechanical treatment units. An anaerob.i o effluent pond
was constructed In 1962 to reduce the plant effluent by 50
i
i
percent. The overall system reduces the final effluent BOD i
i
to about 200 to 250 mg/1. The city has some combined storm j
t
and sanitary sewers. j
New port
At the present time Newport does not have a
sewer system or sewage treatment plant, but plans for both
were approved on April 26, 1963, and the facilities; are
presently under construction. It is expected that a secondary
plant will be In operation by late summer of 1964. The
-------
1058
design Is for a Modification of the activated aludg* proceaa
and Includes a contact tank, sludge reaeratlon tank, aerobic
sludge dlgeation tank, final settling tank, and chlorl nation
tank. The plant is designed to provide treatment for a
flow of 0.30 tngd with a 5-day BOD of aboit 200 mg/1 to
produce an effluent of about 40 rag/1.
St. Paul Park
A secondary treatment plant was .-onatructed here
in 1955 *nd tnlarged in 1963. The plant consists of a
primary settling tank, a high-rate trickling filter,
secondary settling tank, ohlorinatlon contact tank, ana
separate sludge digestion tank. It is designed to treat
sewage and waste at the rate of 0.4 mgd with a 5-day BOD of
200 mg/1 to produce an effluent of 40 mg/1.
, Dakota _Cqunty
A sewage treatment plant to serve part of the
South Orove Development was constructed in 1963. The plant
consists of a cosMiautor, two extended aeration units, a
settling tank, a sludge holding tank, and chlorination
facilities. The units are designed to provide secondary
treat»ent by the extended aeration nodi float ion of the
-------
1059
activated sludge process for a sewage flow of about 0.03
mgd with a 5-day BOD of approximately 268 mg/1. The
effluent is discharged to a ditch leading to the Mississippi
River.
Cottage Grove Township, Washington County
i
The plant was constructed in 1962 and is designed j
to provide secondary treatment. The plant consists of a
bar screen, primary settling tank, aeration tank, secondary
settling tank, chlorinator, and chlorination contact tank,
j
t
heated sludge digestion tank and sludge drying Deds. It was i
j
designed to provide treatment by the activated sludge j
process for a flow of 0.4 mgd with a 5-day BOD of abe<;t 200 j
mg/1. The units are considered capable of producing an j
effluent with a 5-day BOD of approximately 20 mg/1.
Plans for a second stage addition were approved
on May 22, 1963* and construction is underway. The changes
include a mechanically cleaned bar screen and chamber,
primary settling tank, aeration tank, secondary settling
tank, chlorination tank, sludge digestion tank and altera-
tions to the control building. The proposed changes will
Increase the treatment capacity of the plant to 0.80 mgd
with a 5-day BOD of about 200 mg/1. The final effluent of
the new plant will be approximately 20 mg/1 of 5-day BOD.
-------
1060
Hastings
The plant was constructed In 1956 and la designed
to provide primary sedimentation and chlorlnation. The
plant consists of a cutting screen, settling tank,
chlorinatlon facilities, sludge digestion tank, and sludge
beds. It is designed to treat 0.6 cngd oi' sewage and
wastes with a 5-day BOD of 300 mg/1 to produce an effluent
of approximately 190 mg/1.
Red Wing
The plant was constructed In 1961 and consists
of two primary settling tanks, two high-rate tri ;kling
filters, two secondary settling tanks, a chlorine contact
tank, two sludge digestion tanks, si
-------
1061
provides prltnarv treatment. The plant Consists of a
primary settling tank, chlorlnation facilities, sludge
digestion tank and sludge beds. It was designed to treat
a sewage and waste flow of 0.24 mgd with a 5-day BOD of
about 260 rag/1 to produce an effluent of about 175 mg/1.
Plans for alterations were approved on March
21, 1961, This project consisted of replacement of the
pumps at the main lift station, modification of the sludge
digester, and installation of a chlorinator. The proposed
improvements will not increase the capacity of the plant
but will help to avoid by-paasing of sewage, permit better
operation, and provide effective disinfection of the plant
effluent.
INDUSTRIAL WASTE DISPOS/J ON THE RUM RIVER
Cornelius Manufacturing_Compan^
The Cornelius Manufacturing Company
-------
1062
treatment. Secondary containment structures have not been |
!
provided to guard against accidental losses of chemicals
from the plating tanks. Sanitary sewage is reported3y
discharged to the municipal sanitary sewer.
Pe de r a 1 Cartr id ge Corporation
This plant is located In Anoka a short distance
east of the Rum River. The company manufactures smokeless
powder and ammunition for small arms. It Is reported that
sanitary sewage and plating rinse water are discharged
to the municipal sanitary sewer, but a f-ltrate from the
manufacture of nitrocellulose is discharged to a storm
sewer which drains into the Rum River. Relatively h.gh
concentrations of copper and zinc have been found in
samples collected of the flow from the sewer outfall at the
i
Rum River. Secondary containment facilities to guard againstj
i
losses of the plating solutions have not been provided. !
INDUSTRIAL WASTE DISPOSAL ON THE MIFSISSIPPI RIVER
Minneapolis Water Treatment Plant
The plant la located in Fridley a short distance
upstream from the Camden bridge. It produces potable water
-------
1063
for the City of Minneapolis and several suburbs. Raw
water la drawn from the Mississippi River. The plant has
a reported capacity of 158 aagd of finished water. Wastes
consist of sand filter backwash water and a lime slurry
from the softening process. The filter backwash water is
discharged to the Mississippi River without treatment, |
I
while the lime slurry is pumped to a nearby clarification j
i
basin. The supernatant overflows to the river at a reported !
i
(
rate of about 1,5 ragd. |
I
Northern States Pow_er_Company, Riverside Plant
This steam electric generating plant is located
in Minneapolis about 2 miles below the Minneapolis water-
treatment plant. The present net capt-billty is about j
289,300 kilowatts. Expansion of this plant will b« completed
in mid-1964, to increase the net capability to about
505,000 kilowatts. Heat rejection to the river at present
is about 2,338 x 10 BTU/hr. and will be increased to about
3,268 x 10 BTU/hr. after completion of the expansion, at
maximum capacity. Cooling water flow is about 305,000 gpm
and will be Increased to about 400,000 gpn after expansion,
at maximum generation capacity and high river temperatures.
At present capacity under these conditions, a temperature
rise of about 12°P occurs through the condensers and after
-------
1064
the expansion the temperature rise will be about 16°F
under the same conditions. The company has been conducting
river temperature studies for some time to determine how
the effluent affects the river and what control measures
may be needed in the future.
Northern States Power Company, Southeast and Island Stations
The company also has two cold standby or peaking
plants on the river in the Twin Cities area. One is known
as the Southeast Station and is located upstream from the
lower dam of 3t. Anthony Falls. The other is known as the
Island Station and is located about 1 mile above the High
Bridge Plant in St. -nu"1 . Both are steam plants and are
rarely used. The next capabilities are 40,000 and 22,400
kilowatts, repseetl*. ?:.'..
Northern States Power Company, High Bridge Plant
This steam electric generating plant is located
on the Mississippi River in St. Paul approximately 4 miles
above the Minneapolis-St. Paul Sanitary District sewage
treatment plant. The plant has a net capability of about
482,800 kilowatts and when operating at capacity under
conditions of elevated river temperatures, rejects about
-------
1065
2,911 x 10° BTU/hr. In a cooling water flow of about 296,000
gpm. Under these conditions, there would be about a 19°F
temperature rise in the cooling water.
Mi/i nesota Harbor__Servioe
The company is engaged Ir cleaning of barges on
the right bank of the Kissjss'ppi River upstream from the
High Bridge 1.r f.t. Fa>;l. The barges cleaned are mostly
coal and gra:*j barges. Wastes from the operation consisting
of wash- water containing some coal or grain are discharged
directly into the river without treatment. It is reported
that the company does not ,;lean barges which have been
bsed to transport liquids, but occasionally will clean
barges which hs\;e been used to transport sulfur, phosphate
rock, or similar1 materials. These operations are seasonal.
Recommendations have been made to the company to improve
their waste disposal practices but no information has yet
been received as to changes to be made.
i
Twin City Barge an d Tow in g Comjgany •
The company operates mobile barge-cleaning
facilities on the Mississippi River In th« Port at St. Paul.
The facilities are operated during the river shipping season
-------
1056
only. In general, the operations consist of cleaning
ooal barges so that they can be loaded with grain. Wastes
from the operations include coal and grain mixed with wash
water, most of which Is discharged directly into the river
without treatment. It is reported that the company does
not clean barges which have been used to transport liquids,
but occasionally will clean barges which have been used to
transport sulfur, phosphate rock, or similar materials.
Studies are underway by the company to determine if dry
cleaning methods can be substituted for the present method of
wet cleaning of the barges.
Northern. States Power Company ^ proposed JR.. JP. _ Pack, 2
This proposed steam electric generating plant
will be located on the Mississippi River at the south city
limits of St. Paul (between the Minneapolis -St. Paul Sanitary
District sewage treatment plant and the South St. Paul
sewage treatment works.) The ir.'tial stage of construction
is scheduled for completion in 1968. It will produce
500,000 kilowatts and have a heat rejection to the river of
about 2,100 x 10 BTU/hr in a cooling water flow of about
250,000 gpm. Under these conditions, the condensing waters
would have about a 17°P rise in temperature.
-------
1067
Ashes will be discharged to a backwater area which
will be diked to provide a clarification basin. Cooling
towels will be provided if necessary.
Northwestern
The waste treatment facilities consist of a
cooling tower for oxidation of phenolics, stripping unit
:'or removal of sulfidea, an A1 j oil separator, a small oil
recovery lagoon, a larger oxidation lagoon, and a hay filter.
The system was designed to treat oil refinery water flowing
at the average rate of about 1.8 tngd. The effluent of the
large lagoon is discharged through hay filters directly to
the Mississippi River. Spent caustic is segregated and dis- ;
i
posed of separately. Reports on the effluent quality are ;
submitted periodically to th. s Department
Thj s company .is engaged in washing sanJ and gravel !
i
on Grey Cloud Island in Inver Grove Township, Washington ;
County, Waste water, together w < th tailings from the
washing operation, is discharged to clarification basins.
The effluent drains into the river.
St. Paul Ammonia _P**o_duc ts ,_ Inc ., Dakota Count y^
The waste treatment facilities consist of a basin
-------
1068
for neutralization of spent process chemicals, pumps, an
orifice meter and automatic flow-recording device, and a
pH meter with automatic recorder. The system was designed
for removal of floatable oJl find the addition of Chemicals
as may be required to neutralize waste flowing at the rate
of 0.65 mgd. The effluent is discharged through a force _
mair to the Mississippi River, The compan3 subm'ts a
inonthl\ report; to this Department showing results of nnalvsls
of the waste for various cons'-. tuents suoh ss nitrates,
pH, oil, chromates, nnd ammonia. The company has reduced
waste losses substantially by various in-plant recovery and
waste prevention methods and is ,'on^-jnuing with studies to
further control the effluent quality.
Liquid Carbonic, Division of G neral Dynamics Corporation,
Dakota County
The wastes consist essentially of cooling water
and a small amount of process chemicals used n the oroductior
oi' solid and liquid Carbon dioxide from gas supplied by Pt.
Paul Ammonia Products, ir.c. The waste is pumped into the
forcemain which also carries the waste from St. Paul
Ammonia Products, Inc. Treatment consists of reaction with
the ammonia plant waste in the pipeline. Reports are
submitted monthly with the report of St. Paul Ammonia
-------
1069
Products, Inc.
at^ Northern pi_l Company^ JDakota _Count^y_
The waste treatmert facilities consist of
cheml.al neutralization and stripping for destruction of
spent Chemicals , two AF'I oil separators, several storage
and oxidatior, lagoons, a disposal pit, a biological filter
and activated sludge unit. The system la designed to treat
an average flow of about 2.8P- mgd, including storm water.
The effluent of the final lagoon is pumped
intermittent ly to the Mississippi River. Reports on the
effluent quality and flow rre submitted periodically
studies are being made cr. possible improvements to the
system.
Northwest Goo_perat_I_\/e Mi 1 Is , _; r.c , Dakota County
The waste disposal facilities for th's phosphoric {
j
a-.-id and ammonium phosphate fertilizer plant consist of a j
!
gypaum storage lagoon, pumping atat'on, and storm water j
(
collection system with detention pond and conductivity j
I
i
sensing system. The lagoon is designed for an average waste
flow of 4.32 mgd and is operated essentially as a closed
syat«m with the lagoon effluent being reu»«d In the plant.
-------
1070
Gypsum Is stored permanently in the lagoon. Plant area run-
off is monitored, and when found to be of unsatisfactory
quality is diverted to an emergency detention pond.
The company has recently found some small leaks
from the gypsum pond to the river and corrective action is
underway to locate and seal the leaks.
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, Washington County
Waste treatment facilities include pH adjustment,
mechanically cleaned settling tanks,aalticelled oxidation
lagoons and sludge storage ponds. The system in use at
present was designed to provide primary treatment of chemical
wastes at the rate of about 2.16 mgd with a 5-day BOD of
430 mg/l,to accomplish a BOD removal of not less than 20
percent.
A permanent storage pit for acid sludge is
presently under construction and design is progressing on
incineration facilities for spent solvent disposal. Engineer^
ing is also underway on a chemical system to destroy phenolic
compounds which are presently discharged to a temporary pit.
Studies are being made to evaluate data obtained
recently from pilot plant studies of an activated sludge
system for providing a higher degree of waste treatment.
-------
1071
H .^ D. Hudii^oin Manufac turi ng k'ojk^an^
This plant is located upstream from the USH 61
bridge in Hastings. The company Is engaged in the manu-
facture of spraying equipment. The wastes include paint
scrubber water and metal finishing wastes, both of which
are discharged to the Mississippi River. Waste treatment
facilities consisting of chemical reduction and precipitation
have been provided, and studies are in progress In regard
to facilities for disperse * of the effluent.
Foot Tanning Company
This plant is located in Red Wing on a small
creek a short distance from the Mississippi River. The
company does both chrome and vegetable tanning The wastes
are screened and discharged to a series of sedimentation
basins which overflow to the creek. The existing facilities
are considered the first stage of total waste treatment
facilities which may be required to avoid unsatisfactory
conditions.
Northern States Power, Company, Jfed Wing Plant
This steam electri. generating plant has a net
-------
1072
capability of 2Q,000 kilowatts and la located on the
Mississippi River at Red Wing. Heat rejection to the river
at maximum capacity ia about 1?4 x 10(> BTU/hr. The coolJng
water flow is aDout 37,000 gpm when operating at maximum
capacity with the river temperature in excess of 70°F,
Under theae conditions the temperature rise through the
condensers Is about 9oF.
PRELIMINAJV LIST OF LIQUID STORAGE DEPOSITS
ON THF MISSISSIPPI RIVER*
(* Not including those which are a part of
a ''weti; Industry whi >h is listed -^s Ka-lr;;;
a separate waste outle+:. ^
Western Oil a.nd Fuel Company, ^ipneapol i_s
i
The company is located on the right bank of the
Mississippi River upstream from the Minneapolis municipal
dock. The company Is engaged in the marketing of gasoline
and fuel oils whi^h are received by barge, stored and
shipped by tank truck. The total storage capacity at this
site Is about 7 million gallons in 20 tanks. Dikes are
provided around all of the tanks and each dike reportedly
provides secondary containment capacity of about 120 percent
of the capacity of the tanks enclosed.
-------
1073
Indus trial Molasses jCpm ganjr ,__ S fc Z§HA
i
i
Tl.e company is located on the left bank of the
river upstream from the Mlnneapoli8-St . Paul District plant.
The operation consists of receiving, storing and shipping nf
industrial molasses. The company has dock fao/IJt'.es on the
river, and general!'/ receives the molasses by barge or rail,
and ships ny tr- ok cr rail. Ho dikes or other secondary
containment structures are provided around the molasses
storage tanks and In the event of a major tank rupture
molasses could dra^n into the river.
laS8 Company ,_ Hed Win&
The plant is located on the right bank of the
river. Operations include the production, refining and
shipping of soybean and linseed oils. Liquid wastes from
the plant processes are discharged to the munic pal sanitary
sewer system. The plant has a total liquid storage capacity j
of about 1 million gallons in some 100 tanks which range
upward to 140,000 gallons in capacity. Dikes or other
secondary containment structures have not been provided,
and in the event of a major tank rupture the contents could
drain directly Into the river.
-------
1074
MINNESOTA RIVER
Big Stone Lake, on the western border of the
State In Big Stone County, is generally considered to be
the headwaters of the Minnesota River !n Minnesota. Prom
B'g Stone Lake, the river flows southeasterly to Mankato,
where it turns abruptly and flows northeasterly to its
confluence with the Mississippi River ^n St. Paul at mile
844.0. The following discussion is limited mainly to the
middle and lower reaches of the river, -,e., from Mankato
to Carver Rapids, and Carver Rapids to the mouth, respectivel
The river flows through farm land most .-f the
way. The reach of the river below Belle rlaine has an
extremely low gradient, causing a low flow velocity wh.'ch
allows silt and sand from erosion of the watershed to
settle in the lower reaches. The average flow at Carver
over a 28-year period of record is 3>051 cfs.
Samples have been collected from the Minnesota
River as a part of the Water Quality Sampling Program
continuously since 1953. The anlytical data and the sampling
locations are presented in Volumes 1, 2, and 3, "Water j
I
Quality Sampling Program, Minnesota Lakes and Streams," and |
in supplementary sheets for 1962-63 which are attached.
Preliminary data from a survey presently being conducted
from the Carver Rapids (mile 35) to the mouth are on
-------
1075
separate sheets.
Uses__of the Hiyer_
The present uses of the lower river are recrea-
tion, stock watering, barge traffic, and disposal oi sewage
and industrial waste, both treated and untreated
Stock watering is limited primarily to the
upper river, although some stock watering has been seen near
Chaska. The present bacteriological quality of the water-
is such as to create some doubt as to its suitability for
this use. This use is not expected to increase in the
future.
The recreational uses of the river are primarily
boating and fishing. The present quality of the river 's
not conducive to either of these uses. In a report of the
Division of Game and Pish of the Minnesota Department of
Conservation, 't 's stated that the river has a relatively
low fish population, and that the proportion of game fish, j
in the river from Shakopee to the mouth is only 6.9 percent j
of the total fish population, the remaining 9*.l percent !
being rough fish. The Conservation Department report indi- j
i
cates that there will be an increase in fishing on the lower
river 'n the future "if the human population increases ns
predicted, and particularly if stream conditions Improve
-------
1076
and the river becomes more favorable for fish."
Boating is presently the largest recreational use
of the river but the quality of the river water for boating
is questionable from a bacteriological standpoint. In
the future. It "Is expected that boating will greatly
increase and considerable developmental activities are
underway. There are already preliminary plans for establish-
ing canoe routes throughout the entire river. With effective
treatment of all sewage and wastes the river water quality
probably can be maintained satisfactorily for recreation,
possibly including swimming, but the high turbidity of the
water may detract seriously from the otherwise high recrea-
tional potential of the river.
In 1963 a total of 2.5 million tons of cargo was
shipped by barge on the Minnesota River. The materials
shipped consisted primarily of grain and coal, and some
oil. Barge traffic now is limited to the lower river, with
the dock near Shakopee being the farthest upstream. The
U. S. Corps of Engineers maintairs a "-foot channel from
mJle HJ.7 to 21.8. It is expected that barge traffic will
Increase significantly in the future and the channel may
be extended.
Granite Palls, which is located on the far
upper reach, is the only municipality to obtain its water
supply from the river. It is possible that the lower river
-------
I
1077 1
may be considered for a source of municipal water supply I
i
i
in the long-term future but It is not considered probable
in the short-term future because of the abundance of high-
quality ground water in the area.
At present there are only two municipalities,
Henderson and North Mankato, which have sanitary sewer
systems which discharge untreated sewage to the river. All
other municipalities wi tn aewer systems on the main stem
have provided treatment -"'aoil: ties. North Mankato has
contracted for a connection to the Mankato plant and this
connection is under construction. Henderson has not yet
announced specific plans for treatment although an engineer
has been retained.
There are three industries downstream from
Mankato which discharge raw process wastes to the river.
They are the Minnesota Valley Milk Processing Cooperative
Association in Belle Flame, American Crystal Sugar Company
in Chaska, and the Rahr Malting Company in Shakopee. The
Minnesota Valley Milk processing Association has retained
a consulting engineer to prepare plans and specifications
for a waste disposal system. Plant waste surveys were made
recently by this Department at the American Crystal Sugar
Company and the Rahr Malt j rig Company to evaluate the waste
discharges and the extent of treatment to be recommended for
these wastes.
-------
1078
In summary, the quality of the Minnesota
River appears to be poor. Detailed atudlea are underway
leading toward classification and adoption of standards
by the Water Pollution Control Commission as a preliminary
to further sewage and waste treatment requirements con-
sistent wJth existing and future uses of the river.
Analy tical Data
Table 1 shows the minimum, maximum and mean
values for the total coliform counts at the Indicated
sampling stations.
Table 1
Total Coliforms (MPN/100 ml), 1953-1963 incl.
Station
River Mile
Minimum
Maximum
Mean
Median
Henderson
70
2,000
350,000
44,039
^m
Jordan
39
1,100
35,000
11,925
_
Shako pee
16.8 & 25.1
330
920,000
73,730
13,000
Nichols
7.4
2,600
540,000
74,935
16,500
-------
1079 I
The bacteriological quality of the lower river j
as Indicated by these data ie poo*-. In general, most of the j
!
high values shown for the Shakopee and Nichols stations i
i
i
were found during the period when the Ameri ;an Crystal Sugar ;
plant in Chaska was in operation, but these are not '
i
i
necessarily .Indi-ative of fecal contamination because the j
!
values are for presumptive total coliforms vndifferentiated •
t
as to fecal types. High values are also shown Dy the j
i
results obtained from sampling of cross-section stations !
i
below the sugar plant during the 19^3 summer and fall, part |
i
of the current river study. Deterioration In the hacterlo- j
i
logical quality or the river rr*..t- . wastes from the Rahr ;
Malting Company is also noticeable. ;
-------
Table 2
Total Coliforms (MPN/100 ml)
Station
Sub-Station August 13, 1963
October 23 and
November 11, 1963
27.7,
immediately below American
Crystal Sugar Company
25.2
immediately below Rahr Malting
Right
Center
Left
Right
Center
Left
35,000
54,000
18,000
160,000
35,ooo
24,000
54,000
54,000
920,000
9,200,000
1,600,000
3,500,000
Provisional Flow Date:
August 13 - 6,540 cfs; October 23 - 1,2?0 cfs;
November 11 - 1,160 cfs.
-------
1081
The Rahr Malting Company operates throughout
the year, and the American Crystal Sugar Company generally
operates from late September to late January or early
February. The untreated wastes from the American Crystal
Sugar Company enter on the left bank (facing downstream),
and the Rahr Company wastes enter on the ^-ight bank.
j
In general, the dissolved oxygen content of the !
Lower Minnesota River Is low during the wprrn months. This
can be attributed to the pollution load imposed on the ;
river, both natural and man-made, and the high turbidity of
1
the river water. In turbid water, the penetration of sun-
light is reduced, thereby handicapping the growth of algae
which are a source of dissolved oxygen through photosynthesis.;
The dissolved oxygen in the r,i ver ranged from aboi t 1 mg/1
to super-saturation. The dissolved oxygen has in the past
been completely exhausted in certain areas during periods
of ice cover, but recent data are not available for th;s
period. Further studies are planned for th^s winter-
Samples collected during August, 1963* generally showed
dissolved oxygen concentrations of about 5 mg/1.
The 5-day BOD values of the samples collected as
a part of the Water Quality Sampling Program averaged about
6.0 mg/1, and ranged from 1.1 to 17 mg/1. The samples
collected on the Lower Minnesota River, as a part of the
current study, had a mean 5-day BOD value of about I* mg/1
-------
1082
before the American Crystal Sugar Company In Chaska began
operations and about 10 mg/1 after. In general, the 5-day
BOD values are indicative of organic pollution, particularly
in certain reaches and periods.
The remaining analytical data including suspended
solids, suspended volatile matter, phosphorus, chloridts.
ammonia and surfactants, generally Substantiate the inter
pretations given above and indicate a fair degree of
pollution.
Biolo_gy
The Lower Minnesota River is oiologically poor.
There are relatively few organisms present in it in any
number. It is believed that chis condition may not be
ascribable to any one cause but is rather a result of a
combination of factors including the natural character of
the stream, pollution by sewage and industrial wastes, and
dredging of the channel.
Bottom sampling .n August and again Ln October,
1963, between the mouth of the Minnesota River and mile 33
yielded a total of only 6 species of organisms in the bottom
fauna. Only 8 of 15 stations sampled in .-ross-section
yielded organisms of any kind. All organisms found in this
reach were classified as pollution tolerant or facultative
-------
1083
except at Station 25.6 where one clean water caddis larvae
was taken. Such a paucity of life in a river indicates
that conditions are not satisfactory for growth and con-
tinued development of many species and that those species
which were present did not find favorable conditions or
they would have been present .1 n greater numbers.
One factor limiting the biota Is the natural
character of the stream. The lower river has predominantly
a sandy bottom with few areas of gravel or rubble or even
mud to whtch organisms might attach, crawl under or burrow
in. The current is frequently strong in this reach and
scours large portions of the bottom and causes shifting
of sand in many areas. ;
The dredging of the lower reach has probably ;
i
accentuated this scouring characteristic by creating a more :
»
chute-like channel. The dredging of the river for barge
i
i
traffic has eliminated some natural cover of the biota j
i
and reduced the natural multiplicity of environmental con- •
ditlons. Normally one would expect to find a host of
detritus feeders in this type of river; i.e., worms, various
insect larvae and many snails and clams should be present
but were not.
It is known that the Lower Minnesota River as
recently as 1935 supported a rich and varied mussel fauna.
The shells of this former population are found in profusion
-------
1084
on the river bank today, yet no living clams or snails could
be found In this reach In 1963. In a collecting session of
not more than two hours, old shells representing 16 species
of clams were collected from the banks. Apparently none
of these species have survived, their disappearance being
a consequence presumably of both dredging and pollut'-on.
Prom the marked adverse effect upon the stream biota, it
would appear that at least two degrading influences have
been felt. Likely poss.i nil j ties are oxygen depletion by
organic wastes, ana periodic conditions of toxicity possibly {
i
caused by oil spills. The almost complete absence of clean |
t
water organisms jn this reach is indicative of the effects i
i
of organic pollution with concurrent oxygen depletion ^hlle i
t
the scarcity of even pollution-tolerant organisms points j
i
i
toward Intermittent slugs of toxic wastes. ;
Another degrading nfluence of significant
effect upon the river IB the high silt load and consequent I
turbidity. This "s believed to have increased during the
past 30 years and it, too, has a detrimental effect upon
river biota. The basis of the aquatic food chain, the
algae, Is suppressed by high tx-rbidities because of reduced
light penetration. Although algal growth and photosynthetic
replenishment of dissolved oxygen are thereby limited, high
turbidity does lim.it the action of bacteria which break
down organic wastes and ordinarily consume oxygen in the
-------
1085
process as long as oxygen is avaJlable
Effect of Minneeota Riyer on j^ississijppi River
Prom review of all of the data Available, it
appears that the Minnesota River has some detrimental
effects ori the f'lss i ss: pp. River from & chemical and a
r.aeteri ologica1 3tandpoInt
The mean 5-day BOD or the Mississippi River
above the mouth; of the _";-: nnesota River Is about 2.5 mg/1
while -hav, oi i;he .•';; nnesota River near the mouth s abo'>t
4.0 iiT5/l. D> ring the period of the year when the American
Crystal Sugar plant is in operat lor., tne ',j.QL of the
Minnesota River is substantially .^creased, ono during
the winter period especially, r^ay result -n a higher BOD
in the Mississippi River. The ilow in the Mississippi River
above the confluence oi the two rivers a ^enerall^ three
times that in the Minnesota River.
The dissolved oxygen Content of the M:nnesota
River is generally lower than that of the Miss'ssJppi River
I
at the Junction. The mean value for the Mississippi River I
just above the confluence of the Minnesota River Is about
9.8 mg/1, while that of the Minnesota River 1.9 miles above
the mouth Is 7-8 mg/1.
The bacteriological quality of the Mississippi
-------
1086
River and Minnesota River at their confluence is of the
same order. The median total coliform counts of the
Mississippi and Minnesota rivers is 11,000 and 8,000 MPN/100
ml, respectively.
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1092
-------
1093
SEWAGE WORKS ON THE MINNESOTA RIVER
Mankato
The Mankato plant was constructed In 1961 and
Is a primary plant consisting of a control building, two
primary settling tanks, a ehlorlnation contact tank, two
sludge digesters, a sludge drying bed, and a sludge lagoon.
The plant is designed for a sewage and waste flow of 5.82
ragd with a 5-day BOD of 250 rng/1. Part of the sewer system
Is combined sanitary and storm.
North Mankato I
Plans for a forcstna-'n to carry raw sewage from
North Mankato across the Minnesota River- to an existing
Interceptor sewer in Mankato were approved on August 7,
1963. A contract has been made for treatment of the North
Mankato sewage in the Mankato sewage treatment plant. The
forcemaln is now under construction and is expected to be
in operation early in the spring.
St. Peter
The St. Peter sewagt works were constructed in
-------
1094
1963> and consist of a lift station and forcemain, two
primary and one secondary raw sewage stabilization ponds.
The primary ponds have a total surface area of about lA8
acres, and the secondary pond has a liquid surface of aboi-t
47 acres. The ponds are designed to treat a sewage and
waste flow of about 1.1 mgd with a 5-day BOD oi' about ?70
rag/1. The storage time at the dealer flow of 1.1 mgd Is
about 270 days, based upon a depth of b feet in the primary
ponds and 5 feet in the secondary pond. These facilities
also serve the State Hospital at St. Peter,
Le Sueur
A lift station and forcemain and two pr.:mary
and one secondary raw sewage stabilization ponds were
constructed in 1963. The ponds are designed to treat a
sewage and waste flow of about 0.397 nigd with a 5-day BOD
of about 3^5 mg/1. The primary ponds have a total surface
area of about 60 acres. The secondary pond has a surface
area of about 21 acres. The storage time In tne ponda at
the design flow is about 285 days, based on a storage
depth of four feet in the primary ponds and five feet in
the secondary pond.
Henderson
-------
1095 j
!
This is the only sewered municipality located on I
I
the Minnesota River which does not provide treatment, or has
not yet made arrangements for treatment, of the sewage before
•
i
discharging it to the river. On August 5, 1963, the Commission
i
Informed the village that planning for the orderly developmen
of adequate facilities for treatment of the sewage and in-
dustrial waste for which they are responsible must proceed
without delay. The village thereupon employed a consulting
engineer to conduct an engineering study and prepare a pre-
liminary report and so advised this Commission on November
21, 1963.
Belle Plaine
The borough sewage works were constructed in 1963
and consist of one primary and one secondary raw sewage
stabilization pond. The ponds are designed to treat a sewage
and waste flow of 0.20 mgd with a 5-day BOD of about 390 mgA
The primary pond has a surface area of about 33 acres and the
secondary pond has about 14 acres. A storage period of about
250 days is provided at the design flow.
Chastca
The Chaska sewage treatment plant was constructed
-------
I
1096
In 1963 and in a secondary plant consisting of bar screens
and ooramlnutor, grit removal equipment, a contact aeration
tank, a re aeration tank, an aerobic sludge digestion tank:,
settling tanks, and chlorine contact tanks. It Is designed
to treat a sewage and waste flow of 0.75 mgd with a 5-day
BOD of about 200 rag/1. Since there are no other sewage treat
ment plants of this type In operation In Minnesota, the plans
were approved with the reservation that modification to the
plant would be required if performance is not satisfactory.
Shakopee
This plant was constructed In 1961. It is a
primary plant and Includes a control building, a dual primary
settling tank, a dual chlorlnatlon tank, two sludge digestion
tanks, and a sludge drying bed. The plant Is designed to
treat 0.90 mgd of sewage and waste at a 5-day BOD of about
300 mg/1 to produce an effluent of about 200 mg/1. Provision
is made in the design of the interceptor sewer for the possible
future discharge of the Rahr Malting Company wastes to the
municipal plant for treatment when secondary units are con-
structed.
Savage
A new sewage treatment plant was constructed in
-------
1097
1963 and replaced a plant which was constructed In 1939. The
new plant consists of a control building, a primary settling
tank, a high-rate trickling filter, a secondary settling tank
a heated sludge digester, and a sludge drying bed. Provision
is also made for chlorlnatlon of the plant effluent. The
plant is designed to treat 0.39 mgd of sewage and waste with
a 5-day BOD of about 210 mg/1 to produce an effluent oi' about
40 rag/1. Final disposal of the plant effluent, is to a creek
which Joins the Minnesota River.
Burn a v.l lie Township f Dakota County
The Burnsville sewage treatment plant was con-
structed in 1963. It is a secondary treatment plant and
employs the contact stabilization modification of ihe activated
sludge process. The various units include a contact tank,
sludge reaeration tank, aerobic sludge digestion tank, final
settling tank and chlorine contact tank. The plant is de-
signed to provide secondary treatment for a flow of 0.50 mgd
with a 5-day BOD of about 200 mg/1. The plant was completed
and started on January 20, 1964. A temporary sewage holding
pond was used previously. The effluent drains to the Minnesotja
River by way of Black Dog Lake.
Cedar Grove Subdivision, Kgan Township, Dakota County
A secondary treatment plant was constructed In
-------
1098
I960 and consists of a conmdaimtor, dual Aeration tanks, dual
settling tanks, a ohlorinatlon tank, a sludge holding tank, a
control building, and ohlorlnatlon equipment. The plant Is
designed to treat 0.083 ftgd of sewage with a 5-day BOD of 230
mg/1 to produce an effluent of about 30 mg/1. Final disposal
of the plant effluent Is to Blaok Dog Creek and thence to the
Minnesota River.
INDUSTRIAL WASTE DISPOSAL ON THE MINNESOTA RIVER
Honeymead Products Company, Mankato
The company Is engaged principally in the produc-
tion of soybean oil. Large quantit lea of soybeans, soybean
oil and by-products from soybean oil processing are stored In
i
i
tanks or similar containers on the plant site next to the Blufe
i
t
Earth River a short distance from the confluence with the j
i
Minnesota River. Plant process wastes are acidulated and j
i
treated in oil traps before being discharged to the Blue Eartji
i
River. A large quantity of soybean oil was lost to the Blue
Earth River In January, 1963, when a large tank burst. The
company has recently submitted preliminary plans for secondary
containment structures, and is proceeding with studies aimed
at reducing the discharge of plant wastes and increasing the
degree of waste treatment.
North Star Concrete Products Company, Mankato
-------
1099 i
This company is engaged In the washing of sand an
-------
1100
on the Minnesota River. It has a net capability of 27,900
kilowatts and a heat rejection to the river at maximum oapaolly
of about 170 x 10^ ETU/hr. Cooling water flow Is dependent or,
load and river temperature conditions. At maximum generations
i
and with the river temperature in excess of 60°P, the cooling !
water flow is about 23,000 gpm. Under these conditions, the
i
temperature rise through the condenser is about 15°F. j
!
i
Gopher State Silica Company i
i
j
The plant le engaged in the washing, and grading ofj
•lllca sand at a site near the Minnesota River a few miles i
down stream from St. Peter in LeSueur County. Water for plantj
!
operation is pumped from the pit and Cody Lake and discharged I
i
together vilth tailings from the washing and grading operational'
i
to a clarification basin which overflows to Cody Lake and the !
i
Minnesota River.
Green Giant Company^ LeSueur
This plant is located adjacent to the Minnesota
River and is engaged in the canning and freezing of peas and
corn. Operation of the plant Is seasonal. Liquid wastes
from the operation Include cooling water, corn silage stack
liquor and water used for cleaning of the plant and equipment.
The total waste flow is reportedly about 1 mgd. The process
wastes and silage liquor are disposed of by means of a ridge
and furrow Irrigation field.
-------
1101
Minneaota Valley Mlltc proeatgjng Cooperative Association,
Belle Plaine
The plant Is located on the right bank: of the
Minnesota River. The principal activity Is the drying of noni
fat milk for human consumption and it is one of the largest
plants of its kind in the State. Liquid wastes consist of i
!
cooling and condensing water, losses from milk drying> and '
uank truck washings as well as equipment and floor washings.
The cooling water is segregated from the process wastes. The
sanitary sewage is segregated from the process wastes/ and
discharged to a septic tank followed by a soil absorption
field. The company is currently engaged in making engineering
studies for construction of process waste treatment facilities
American Crystal.. Sugar Company,* Chaska
This plant produces refined sugar from sugar
beets. Operation Is seasonal and generally is between Septemb*!]
and February. The wastes consist of lime sludge, flume water,}
and process wastes. The total flow during maximum operation
may approach 6 mgd. Treatment facilities consist of a lime !
sludge pond with no discharge. The remainder of the wastes
are discharged without treatment directly to the river.
An attempt was made to operate a small broad-fieId
irrigation system but without success. The company participate
-------
1102
with this Department in a recent waate survey made to determine
the volume and characteristics of the plant wastes.
Rahr Malting Company j Shakopee
This plant produces malt from barley. The
processes consist of steeping, germination, and drying. The
i
I
wastes produced consist of cooling and wash waters. The totalL
waste water flow amounts to about 3 mgd of whioh about 75^> isj
i
olean cooling water. Basket screens are located at points i
!
within the plant to oatoh residual grain. No further treat- )
ment is provided, but an allowance was made in the design of i
I
the city interceptor sewer to permit discharge of the process j
i
i
wastes into the oity system at some future date when additional
!
treatment facilities are provided by the oity. j
i
i
i
Owens -Illlnolg Glass Company, Scott County j
This plant manufactures paper boxes and other !
containers from paper stock. Processes consist of cutting,
forming and gluing. The major process waste consists of
residual starch and this is treated with sanitary sewage in
an activated sludge plant (package unit) which Is designed
for a flow of about 0.015 ragd. The effluent it discharged to
the Minnesota River via a ditch.
Carglll, Inc., Savage
-------
1103 j
Thla plant is located on the right bank of the I
*
Minnesota River and Is engaged in extracting and refining soyj-
i
bean and linseed oil. Waste treatment facilities consist of j
i
screens and an oil separator. Treated wastes are discharged i
to the Credit River near its confluence with the Minnesota
River. I
i
Kxtensive storage facilities are provided at Port;
Cargill in connection with barge shipment of vegetable oils
and soybeans. i
Northern States Power Company, Black Dog Plant« ;
Burnsville Township, Dakota County
This steam electric generating planu is located
on the Minnesota River about 8 miles above the mouth. The
plant has a net capability of about 460,900 kilowatts and ;
i
under maximum capacity operation rejects about 2,460 x 10^ i
BTU/hr. A condensing water recirculation pond is used so ".
t
actual heat losses to the river are not known but are estimated!
to be considerably less than the plant rejection although j
!
this is to some degree dependent upon river levels and water j
i
temperatures. Maximum cooling water flow is about 300,000 i
gpm with reolrculation dependent on river levels. j
j
Ashes are handled hydraulically and used for fillj
on the plant grounds. The ash flume water is clarified by
means of a settling pond.
-------
1104
Twin City Barge ind Towing Company, Bumavllle
Dakota County
This company operates stationary barge cleaning !
i
facilities on the right bank: of the Minnesota River in Burns-!
vllle Township. The facilities are operated during the river'
j
shipping season only. In general, the operations consist of '
cleaning coal barges so that they can be loaded with grain.
Wastes from the operations include coal and grain mixed with
wash water, most of which is discharged directly into the
river without treatment. The oompany does not usually clean
barges which have been used to transport liquids, but ocoasiofc
ally will clean barges which have been used to transport
sulfur, phosphate rock, or similar materials.
A study Is being made by the company to determine
If uhe wet cleaning now done can be replaced by dry cleaning
methods.
PRELIMINARY LIST OF LIQUID STORAGE DEPOTS*, ON THE MINNESOTA
Richards Oil Company, Scott County
The oompany is located on the right bank: of the
Minnesota River up-stream from Savage. The oompany is engagec
in receiving, blending and shipping asphalt and fuel oils,
and has a barge dock on the river. In general, the materials
-------
1105
are received by barge and shipped by truck, but soybean oil
Is sometimes received and loaded Into barges at the company
dock. A large quantity of petroleum oil was lost to the
In December 1962. All of the storage facilities have been
enclosed with earth dikes with the exception of one or two
tanks for which dike construction Is currently underway. A
large oil recovery basin and filter has been constructed on
this property to remove oil from the plant area drainage.
*Not Including those which are a part of a "wet" industry
which is listed as having a separate waste outlet.
-------
1106
J2cmr
WUAUTI DATA. ST. CROIX RIVEE
Location: Preecott, Wise.; Bridge on USH 10, Station SC - 0
Date
4-17-62
7-25-62
8-27-62
9-26-62
11-7-62
2-5-63
2-26-63
6-18-63
11-5-63
pH
Units
7.6
7.9
7.6
8.1
8.0
8.3
9.0
7.6
7.5
Total
Presumptive
Coliforms
(MPN/100 ml)
200
<200
4200
<200
<200
—
<200
200
200
Sus-
pended
Solids
4.8
7.2
5.2
5.6
5.2
3.2
2.0
4.4
7.2
Tur-
bidity
Units
10
11
10
5
3
6
20
10
10
Phospho-
rous
0.08
0.08
0.08
0.08
0.06
0.10
Sur-
Ananonia fact ants
0
0
<_ 0
0
0
0
0
0
0
.2
.12
.01
.14 <0.1
.24 '-0.1
.24 <0.1
.16 <0.1
.1 <0.1
.18 SO.I
DO
0
5
5
7
10
8
6
7
.2
.9
.9
.6
.4
.8
.4
.0
5-Day
BOD
2.6
2.7
4.0
1.3
1.5
1.5
1.5
3-4
2.5
Location: Stillwater; Bridge on SH 212, Station SC - 22.6
4-17-62
7-25-62
9-11-62
11-6-62
3-26-63
6-18-63
11-5-63
7.8
8.2
7.0
8.6
8.8
7.7
7.9
610
1,300
800
2,300
4,900
500
1,100
8.4
20.0
4.0
6.0
2.8
11.0
6.4
10
15
15
1.0
19
12
10
_
_
_
0.08
o.n
o.n
0.03
0.2
' 0.1
<.' 0.1
< 0.1
0.10
* 0.06
<0.05
11.4
7.9
7.0
6.1
7.6
4.8
11.9
2.5
4.5
1.8
2.3
2.0
4.5
3.8
Location: Osceola, Wise.; Bridge on SH 243, Station SC - 45
4-17-62
7-25-62
9-10-62
11-6-62
2-26-63
6-6-63
11-5-63
8.2
8.1
7.5
8.7
8.6
7.3
7.9
200
200
200
1,700
2,200
1,300
500
7.6
6.8
' 5,6
8.4
4.4
11.0
3.2
10
13
15
2
U
10
8
—
_
_
0.08
, o.n
0.16
0.03
0.2
<. 0.1
'• 0.01
0.04
0.10
< 0.05
< 0.05
11.5
7.6
7.0
9.6
7.7
6.1
5.5
5.9
1.3
2.5
2.3
5.0
12.1 2.P
-------
1107 l
ST. CROIX RIVER |
The St. Crolx River rises in Uppser St. Croix
Lake, Douglas County, Wisconsin, and follows a southerly
course 164 miles through forests and farm lands to its
confluence with the Mississippi River at mile 811.3 (miles
above the Ohio River). The lower 120 miles of the river
fora a boundary between Minnesota and Wisconsin. Its mean j
i
flow over a 60-year period (1902 to 1962) is 4,0^3 cfs,
measured at St. Crolx Falls, Wisconsin.
There is very little development along the river
bank on the Minnesota side upstream of Taylor Falls, with
moderate development; downstream. There are only three
Incorporated Minnesota municipalities located directly on
the river which have public sanitary sewer systems, and
all of these municipalities have provided sewage treatment
facilities. All other smaller sources of sewage also have
been required to provide treatment facilities. No major
Industries discharge directly to the river from the Minnesota!
j
side at the present time.
Samples have been collected on the St. Crolx \
i
River by personnel of the Section of Water Pollution Control !
!
as part of a statewide routine water quality monitoring j
!
program since 1953. The points of sampling and analytical '
data are presented in Volumes 1, 2, and 3 of the publication
i
j
-------
1108
of this Department entitled, "Water Quality Sampling
Program, Minnesota Lakes and Streams." The data for
samples collected in 1962 and 1963 are tabulated on separate
sheets, because Volume 4 (for 1962 and 1963) has not yet
been published.
Uses of the River
The present uses of the St. Croix River consist
mainly of recreation, barge shipping, and disposal of
relatively minor quantities of treated sewage and industrial
waste effluents. Some harvesting of ice is done on the
lower river for use in railroad refrigeration.
The major use of the river is for recreational
purposes, such as boating, canoeing, fishing, and swimming.
Because of the excellent recreational values of the river,
this use is expected to increase substantially in the coining
years. The natural quality of the river is suitable i'or
such uses and pollutlonal effects are subject to control sc
as not to inhibit this use. Prom a bacteriological stand-
point, the river is considered generally acceptable for
bathing use in most areas, but sanitary surveys of individual
areas are considered desirable to ascertain conditions In
each specific instance.
There is a small amount of freight traffic on the
-------
1109
St. Croix, from the mouth to the one barge dock at Stillwater,
Coal la the only commodity shipped, and this traffic is net
expected to increase substantially.
No municipalities obtain their water supplies
from the river at present. Some interest has been expressed
in the possible use of water from the St. Croix River b>
St. Paul to supplement its Mississippi River supply, but it
is not expected that these waters will be used as a source ,
i
of water supply in the near future. ;
Presently, the river is capable of assimilating .
i
the treated effluents discharged to it without any :
deleterious effects. However, with an expanding popula- :
i
tion demanding more water, and increasing recreational use,
4
the waste discharges should be reduced further by providing 1
i
secondary treatment at all existing sources. The Water :
Pollution Control Commission has indicated by resolution
in May 19^3 Its Intention of requiring such secondary
treatment of both existing and new sources in the future.
Analytical Data
The total conform count of the samples collected
during the 10 years of the Water Quality Sampling Program
range from less than 20 to 24,000 MPN/100 ml (most probable
number per 100 milliliters), with an arithmetic average or
-------
1110
mean value of about 1,200 MPN/100 ml. In general, higher
counts were found In the samples from immediately below
Osceola, Wisconsin, with lower counts being found in the
samples taken upstream from Osceola, and downstream from
Bayport. The coliform count appears to have dropped slightl
In the last five years.
The dissolved oxygen values obtained from the
river sampling ranged from 4.0 to 12.2 mg/1 (milligrams
per liter), with a mean value of 8.8 mg/1. There appears
to be no significant change in the dissolved oxygen con-
centration of the river from Danbury, Wisconsin, to the
mouth. This indicates that the river was able to readily
assimilate any residual waste discharged to it and maintain
a dissolved oxygen concentration capable of supporting all
native game fish.
The 5-day BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) of
the river samples collected during the ten-year period
ranged from 0.2 to 6.8 mg/1, with an average of 2.6 mg/1.
These values in themselves are not necessarily indicative
of severe pollution; however, samples collected from the
river below Osceola, Wisconsin, showed some indications
of an organic load being added.
The other analytical data generally Indicate p
rather clean river with only slight evidence of polluticr .
-------
1111
Effect of St. Croix River on Mississippi River
The water quality of the St. Crolx River above
the confluence with the Mississippi River is significantly
better than that of the Mississippi River, as may be
seen from the following summary table:* (* Values are
means of samples collected as part of WQSP, except conforms
whioh are medians of presumptive determinations. For
specific data, see the attached table.)
Mississippi River St. Croix River
at Hastings, at Prescott,
Minnesota Wisconsin
Total Coliform Group
(MPN/100 ml)
Dissolved Oxygen (tag/1)
5-Day Biochemical Oxygen
Demand (rng/1)
Chlorides (»g/l)
34,000
4.8
4.1
12.4
< 200
8.8
2.4
2.4
means leas than.
-------
1112
Therefore, the effect of the St. Crolx River on
the quality of the Mississippi River would not be to lower
it, but, in all probability, to improve it. The BOD load
imposed on the Mississippi River from the St. Croix River is
not significant.
SEWAGE WORKS ON THE ST. CROIX RIVER
Stillwater
This plant was constructed in I960 and provides
primary treatment. It consists of four rectangular primary
tanks, a chlorine contact tank, two heated sludge digestion
tanks, a six compartment sludge drying bed, and control
building. The plant is designed to treat sewage and waste
flowing at the rate of 2.18 mgd (million gallons per day)
dry-weather flow. The raw sewage is estimated to have a
dry-weather 5-day BOD of about 125 mg/1. Stillwater has a
partially combined sewer system. The plant will provide a
35 percent reduction in 5-day BOD and a 60 percent reduction
in SS (suspended solids) under dry-weather flow conditions.
It will produce an effluent with a 5-day BOD of approximately
81 mg/1.
Bay port
-------
in;-;
This is a secondary plant consisting of a pri^rr
settling tank, aeration tanks, final settling tanks,
chlorination contact tank and separate sludge digestion
tanks. It Is designed to treat sewage from both Bayport
and the State Prison at the rate of 0.337 mgd with a 5-dn.-,.
BOD of 205 »g/l to produce an effluent of approximately
30 mg/1.
Plans and specifications were approved by the
Water Pollution Control Commission on December 20, 1963,
for additions and alterations. The additions and alteration
will consist of a new control building, a contact aeration
tank, a return sludge reaeration tank and two final settln.,
tanks. The Improved plant is designed to provide secondary
treatment by a modification of the activated sludge process
for sewage and waste from Bayport at the rate of 0.25 mgd
and from the State Prison at the rate of 0.40 mgd. This
flow will have a 5-day BOD of about 215 mg/1. ft reduction
in 5-day BOD of 75 to 90 percent is expected when design
conditions are reached.
VERMILLION RIVER
The Vermillion River rises in eastern Scott
County near Lakeville, flows easterly through flat to
rolling land and passes through the municipalities of
-------
1114
Farmlngton, Vermlllion, and Hastings. At Hastings, the
river falls precipitously to the valley of the Mississippi
River, and flows along the west side of the flood plain in
the valley for about 18 miles until it Joins the Mississippi
River above Red Wing. The official mouth of the Vermlllior:
River ia listed by the U. S. Corps of Engineers as beiruj, >;
Mississippi River mile 813.2 in Hastings, but a diversion
structure at the mouth causes the river to flow southward
so that it Joins the Mississippi River at mile 796.7 belov
Lock and Dam No. 3* near Red Wing.
Prom records over 5 years, from 19^3 to 19*r",
the mean flow as measured at Hastings was 81 cfs. No flow
data are available for the period after 19^7.
Uses of the River
The present uses of the Vermlllion River consist
mainly of stock watering, some limited recreation, and dis-
posal of treated sewage and industrial wastes.
No municipal water supplies are taken from the
river. There is not known to be any boating on the river,
and only limited fishing upstream from the mouth, but
many fishermen have been observed fishing the river near
the Junction with the Mississippi River. Recreational usr
of the river may increase somewhat in the future.
-------
1115
All municipalities on the Vertnllllon River now
have secondary aewage treatment works. There are no
industries which discharge untreated wastes to the river.
Analytical Data
Samples have not been taken on a routine basis
on the Vermillion River, but special surveys were made on
the river in 1932, 19^6, 1956, and I960. The latest j
sampling data show the presence of a good supply of dissolved
oxygen, low 5-day BOD, and moderate total conform
organism counts. These values average about 9 mg/1, 2 mg/1,
and 5,000 MPN/100 ml, respectively.
Effect of Vermillion River on Mississippi River
The Vermillion River as it enters the Mississippi
River below Lock and Dam No. 3 is of a quality comparable
to the Mississippi River. Based on quality and the large
difference in the flows of the two rivers, the Vermillion
River is not expected to affect the Mississippi River in
any way.
-------
1116
SEWAGE WORKS ON THE VERMILLION RIVER
Hastings State Hospital
The Hastings State Hospital sewage treatment
plant was constructed in 1937, with additions in 19*19. It
is a secondary plant and consists of a flow measuring
device, bar screen, comminutor, primary clarlfier, two
aerators, chlorlnation unit, heated sludge digester, and
sludge beds. The plant is designed to treat sewage and
laundry wastes by the activated sludge process. The waste
flow is 0.15 mgd and has a 5-day BOD of 340 mg/1. The plant
is designed to produce an effluent of approximately 20 rag/1.
Discussions have recently been reported concerning a
possible connection of the hospital to the Hastings sewer
system.
CANNON RIVER
The Cannon River rises in the vicinity of Shields
Lake in west central Rice County and flows through a series
of lakes to its confluence with the Mississippi River
upstream of Red Wing at mile 793. The flow is through
agricultural lands for most of its course. A dam one and
one-half miles upstream from Cannon Falls forms Byllesby
-------
1117
Lake, and largely regulates t>e flow downstream. The mean
flow as measured at Welch is 470 cfa, from records over
31 years (1931 to 1962).
Uses o_f the River
The present uses of the Cannon River consist j
j
mainly of st^ck watering, some recreation, and disposal i
i
of sewage and industrial wastes. There are no municipalities!
i
i
which take their water supply from the river. !
i
In moat reaches of the river, the water quality j
|
i
may not be unduly hazardous for stock watering, but is not i
I
generally satisfactory for bathing or boating. Most of the j
recreational activity on the river is on the lakes or j
i
reservoirs, such as Byllesby Lal:e. !
i
The Cannon River presently does not offer high j
i
quality game Dishing, and there have been a number of |
i
reports of fish kills. These episodes have been mostly |
well upriver near Faribault and Northfield, and before
construction of sewage and waste treatment facilities at
Paribault and Northfield.
The future recreational uses of the river can
be expected to increase as the quality of the river water
improves by virtue of the construction of additional sewage
and waste disposal works. It is not expected that the river
-------
1118
water will become a source of municipal water supply, even
In the long-term future, but Industrial and agricultural uaee
may Increase somewhat.
Cannon Palls is the only municipality which
presently discharges raw sewage and industrial wastes to
the river, but plans for secondary treatment facilities
have recently been approved by the Commission and the city
council has accepted a federal grant (PL 660) to assist in
financing construction of the proposed facilities. Both
Paribault and Northfield have secondary treatment facilities
which were constructed in 195o and 1958* respectively.
There are a few small industries along the Cannor River
which discharge untreated process wastes to the river
between Paribault and Cannon Falls.
Samples have been collected on the Cannon River
since 1953 as a part of the Water Quality Sampling Program
at a location above Welch. The analytical data are
presented in volumes 1, 2 and 3 of "Water quality Sampling
Program, Minnesota LaKea arid Streams," and In attached
sheetc for 1962-63.
Analytical Data
The presumptive total coliform test is used as
an indicator of sewage pollution. The following table gives
-------
1119
an indication of the bacteriological quality of the river at
the sampling station at Welch:
Min 1,300 MPN/100 ml
Max 92,000 MFN/100 ml
Mean 18,100 MPN/100 ml
The high counts appear to be attributable to
residual sewage bacteria from Paribault and Northfield, as
well as the discharge of raw sewage from Cannon Palls.
The mean dissolved oxygen concentration found |
i
during the ten years of sampling at Welch was 9.9 mg/1. j
j
The minimum dissolved oxygen concentration found was ^.0 j
]
•
»g/l at Welch on the basis of these records. }
The mean 5-day BOD of the samples was 4.1 mg/1 :
for the station at Welch. This would not necessarily be
Indicative of significant pollution remaining at the Junction
with the Mississippi River some 13 miles downstream.
The other analytical data generally show much
the same trends as do the total coliforih, dissolved oxygen,
and 5-day BOD data. For specific data see the attached
table.
Effect of Cannon River on Mississippi River
-------
1120
The bacteriological quality of the wafers cC
the Cannon River, as they enter the Misaissipr " kv^r
upstream from Red Wing, is in general comparable to that of
the Mississippi River. Because of the large difference in
the flows of the two rivers, the organic load imposed on
the Mississippi River by the Cannon River is considered
negligible and not likely to materially affect the
Mississippi River.
-------
87cmr
.8
(\J NO O
1121
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-------
1122
SEWAGE WORKS ON THE CANNON RIVER
Plans arsd specifications Tor the proposed plant
were approved b\,. the Commission on October 8, 1963. The
plant will be a secondary plant consisting of a primary
settling tank, a hi^h-rate trickling filter, a secondary
settling tank, ? ci.lorine contact tank and chlorination
equipment, si dye digesters, sludge drying beds, and control
building, The plant ^s designed to provide treatment fcr
sewage and waste at tr.c rate of 0.50 mgd, ..naludip,^ the
malting plant wastes. The raw 'j-da.y 001 >M' soout 3t'0 m^/1
will be reduced to about T*^ m^/l.
INDUSTRIAL WflSTE DISPOSAL ON TKi CANNON RIVER
Minnesota Ma11ing Company, Cannon Falls
This plant produces malt for the brewing industry.
i
The plant waste flow reportedly averages about 0.144 mgd and ;
IB now discharged to the Cannon River without treatment.
It la understood that the wastes from this plant will b«
treated in the proposed new municipal sewage treatment plant.
An allowance for these wastes was made in the design of
-------
1123
the treatment facilities. Contracts for construction of
the plant have been awarded.
-------
90c«r
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99cmr
1133
TWIN CITIES METROPOLITAN AREA
I '
I L L..
-------
lOOcra
MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND SIGNIFICANT TRIBUTARIES
IN AND BELOW TWIN CITIES METROPOLITAN AREA
FCMUARY 1964
£TJ -INDUSTRIAL WASTE
ANOKA
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Xr
HOUSTON
-------
1135
M. M. Margraves
MR. STEIN: Thank you for a very comprehensive
statement. I think it gives us all a very clear picture
of what Minnesota is doing.
I find myself in essential agreement with the
major points.
As a matter of fact, considering the magnitude
of the tasks facing you and the size of your staff and
appropriation, I think this notion of a cooperative study
should be welcomed by both sides, because you certainly
have enough work to keep you busy throughout the State.
Are there any comments or questions?
MR. SMITH: I would like to make one comment.
MR. STEIN: Yes, sir.
MR. SMITH: I believe Dr. Margraves misspoke on
the amount of the budget. There is a $100,000 contingency
fund for the two-year period. In addition, the budget for
this fiscal year is approximately $205,'"500, and for next
year is $217,000.
MR. STEIN: I believe Mr. Poston may have a
comment on that.
MR. POSTON: Well, you have answered my question.
I knew that there were funds.
Maybe I am a bureaucrat and used to bigger
figures, or something, but I felt that it was a little bit
-------
1136
M. M.Hargraves
low from what I knew.
MR. SMITH: I should actually say of the $205,000
183,000 of that is Federal money.
MR. STEIN: Yes. That Is why we knew this was of}.
DR. HARGRAVES: I misspoke primarily because this
is essentially what the Legislature has given us —• and it is
only this past Legislature that has done this -- and this
contingency fund oan only be spent at the moment upon conference
with them, and with their agreement that it should be spent.
So that the amount of Federal money we have is essentially
on top of the figures that I quoted.
MR. STEIN: Well, the Federal grart, as I
understand it, is about $83,000 a year. Obviously, in order
to qualify for that money, you have to put in considerably
more than $17»000 of State funds to match, and the budget
must necessarily be high.
MR. SMITH: It would be approximately $122,000
added.
MR. STEIN: Yes. Mr. Wilson?
MR. WILSON: Mr. Chairman, it is now the noon
hour and I assume you are going to adjourn shortly, but I
would just like to add a brief comment pertaining to some of
the points that Dr. Hargravea brought out. It will only take
-------
1137
M. M, Margraves I
m« a couple of ralnutea to do so, If you wish to hearrme now
or wait until after lunch.
!
MR. STEIN: I thought, depending upon how many j
people we have to hear, depending on the feeling of the 1
i
conferees — i
MR. WISNIEWSKI: I understand Minnesota has
about 13 people who will be appearing. ;
!
MR. SMITH: I have statements from many more ;
i
than 13. i
I
MR. WISNIEWSKI: So that will take well into i
the afternoon. You will have to break for lunch sometime.
That is what I mean. i
MR. STEIN: All right. How long will your state-
ment take? j
i
MR. WILSON: Just two or three minutes. |
MR. STEIN: Why don't you go ahead? ;
-------
1138
C. S. Wilson
STATEMENT OP CHESTER S. WILSON, CONFEREE
AND SPECIAL ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL,
LEGAL COUNSEL, MINNESOTA WATER POLLUTION
CONTROL COMMISSION
MR. WILSON: I simply wanted to call attention
to this fact:
One of the speakers from the State of Wisconsin
remarked that Mr. Wisniewski didn't have to ask people; he
could go out and tell them. I think that everyone should
be reminded that we cannot do that under our Minnesota law
so promptly and with auch effect.
Under our laws, as Dr. Hargraves pointed out,
we were reminded a few years ago by a court decision, the
first time the Minnesota Commission undertook to do that,
to go out and tell somebody something, the court constantly
slapped them down and told them that "t was necessary for
them first to hold a hearing and establish a standard for
a small country ditch before they could tell the creamery
to go and clean up its mess.
The same thing appllee to every pollution
situation in the State, and notably to this Twin Cities
situation.
-------
1139
C. S. Wilson
So, In preparation for backing up the expansion
of the Twin Cities plant, which was already underway, in
order to make sure that the results of that expansion will
be effective and that all minor sources of pollution in
this tremendous metropolitan area would be dealt with by
the time that plant goes into operation in 1966, the Comrais- !
i
sion provided that beginning in the spring of 1962, long }
i
before these duck kills happened and long before this
conference waa conceived of, the Minnesota Commission, upon
its own initiative, launched the program for adopting
standards for this entire section of the Mississippi River
that Dr, Hargraves described.
That took eight days of hearings, involved the
taking of over 1,000 pages of testimony, at which, as I
remarked, we were greatly aided by the witnesses from the
Public Health Service; and, as a result of the adoption of
those standards, the Minnesota Commission is now in a
position to back up this effort to clean up this portion of
the Mississippi River.
Now, I might say that we are not too sure that
those standards are going to stick. Dr. Hargraves has
mentioned that those standards involved loopholes. We are
already in court on an appeal contesting the validity of
those standards. We have to demonstrate that they are
-------
1140
C. S. Wilson
reasonable and based upon evidence, before we can enforce
them; but the Commission IB doing all it can to lay the
foundation for the very thing that Wisconsin la able to
do without going through all this trouble.
That is one of the reasons why we are very glad
to acclaim our neighbor, Wisconsin, for progress in water
pollution, that they have not been handicapped by the
necessity of adopting a standard for all the waters in the
State.
You can see what that is going to mean. If we
do not get cooperation from these *tl towns that haven't
got sewage treatment plants, if we do not get cooperation
from the 450 industries that we are going to have to go
after, we are going to have to go through that aame process
with every one of them — hold a hearing and adopt a
standard -- before we can issue them an order.
That is one of the things that I wanted to call
attention to, Mr. Chairman. The thing that I should like
to emphasize, from long, long experience as a prosecuting
and law-enforcement attorney, is that this Commission has
no inspection force and no police force.
With its small staff of engineers, if they have
to go out and perform the service of investigating cases
like these oil spills, or attempting to institute
-------
C. S. Wiloon
prosecutions of local violation*, they simply have to neglect
their tremendously important duties of advancing the progress
of construction of sewage treatment plants.
It seems to me that one of the most important
things for all people concerned with the advancement of
pollution control in this State is to recognize the neces-
sity of getting behind the efforts of the Minnesota Commis-
sion to get what it takes to do these things and put over
the program.
MR. STEIN: Thank you, Mr. Wilson.
Are there any other comments or questions?
(No response.)
MR. STEIN: If not, may I suggest this: Can we
adjourn for lunch for just one hour? Is that possible?
DR. HARGRAVES: How about fifty minutes and be
back at one?
MR. STEIN: We will be back in fifty minutes,
and I hope you will return promptly so that we can start.
(Whereupon, at 12:10 p.m., the conference was
recessed for lunch.)
-------
1142
AFTERNOON SESSION
(1:25 p.m. )
MR. STEIN: May we reconvene? j
j
Dr. Margraves9 :
DR. HARGRAVES: It is now time for the Minnesota ;
conferees to call on our friends and critics to make !
j
v-ontributions to this conference, so that we can have further'
constructive material go into this report.
However, before we start, 1 would like to augment :
what Mr. Stein said yesterday — it seems like the other j
day, but what he said yesterday -- that this is a conference.'
I think a lot of people do not understand the
implications here. This is not a hearing. It has nothing
to do with police power at the moment. It Is a conference
in which the States and the Federal Government, representa-
tives of each, have gotten together to talk over the
problems that exist and decide what "s best to do.
You are here largely at our invitation, whether
you know It or not, or the invitation of the Wisconsin
Committee, and you are here to give us all help on better
understanding the problem that exists.
Consequently, if you have a lot of criticism
that we can take and have taken In hearings, there will be
other times for that, and I am sure that you are sympathetic
with what I say and will be cooperative In making your
-------
1143
statement and not In reduplicating a lot that has been done,
because we have practically two pages, if not three, of
people who have been requesting an opportunity to air their
views. We have asked many groups to combine their statements
with the represented like types of organizations.
With that, I will ask Mr. Smith to start going !
*
i
down through our agenda, and we will call on these individuals
!
I
In an order — I shouldn't say necessarily of importance,
but of stature, if you will, in government, and so on, aa
is done in most hearings.
I will turn this over at the moment to Mr. Smith.
MR. SMITH: The first group to be heard from
i
this afternoon will be the Upper Mississippi River Conserva- j
tion Committee. '
j
Is Mr. Nord in the room? Is there anyone from i
that group here?
(No response. )
MR. SMITH: I have, Mr, Chairman, copies of a
resolution by tM.s group which I would like to present for
the record.
DR. HARGRAVES: It is a short one. Can't it be j
read? Do you want me to read it, or do you want to read It? j
"POLLUTION RESOLUTION OF THE TWENTIETH
ANNUAL UMRCC MEETING, JANUARY 7,
HELD AT PEORIA, ILLINOIS
-------
1144
"The Upper Mississippi River Conservation
Committee, an organization consisting of representa-
tives of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Con-
servation Agencies of the States of Minnesota,
Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri, and cooperat-
ing agencies welcomes the opportunity to aid in
evaluating the effect of pollution upon fish and
wildlife and associated recreational uses of the
Mississippi River. This committee believes that
there is a prcfound effect of this pollution on fish
and wildlife and it requests that particular con-
sideration be given to this matter at the conference
to be held in the Twin Cities on February 7, 1964.
"In providing service in this connection,
the Committee offers material relative to fish and
wildlife and aquatic recreation resulting from its
surveys and studies conducted since 194**."
They offer this material. Is this to be offered
as an exhibit?
MR. STEIN: That is included in the record right
now.
Will you continue, unless there are comments or
questions?
MR. SMITH: The next on the list will be any
legislative committee representatives who may be present
-------
1145
and wish to make a statement.
(No response.)
MR. SMITH: Also, any legislators present who
would like to make a presentation?
(No response. )
MR. SMITH: Then we go from there to the State
Departments represented. We do have a prepared repcrt
submitted in ten copies from the Department of Conservation,
the Division of Game and Pish, Mr. Chairman.
This is rather detailed. Much of the material,
I understand, has been discussed in one form or another by
other persons participating.
MR. STEIN: Would you want that included in the
record as if read?
MR. SMITH: I believe so. Dr. Moyle?
DR. MOYLE: Yes, we would prefer to have it
Included in the overall record.
MR. STEIN: This will be included.
(The statement of the State of Minnesota Depart-
ment of Conservation, Division of Game and Fish, is as
follows:
-------
1146
STATE OP MINNESOTA
Department of Conservation
Division of Game and Piah
Game and Flan Values of the Mississippi River
between the Rum River at Anoka and the
Chippewa River below Lake Pepin
SUMMARY
The Division of Game and Pish, Minnesota Depart-
ment of Conservation, is concerned with the recreational
and economic values of the fish and game resources of the
Mississippi River between Anoka and the Chippewa River.
This section of the Mississippi River Includes such major
tributaries as the St. Croix River below Taylors Palls and
the Minnesota River below Henderson, The Division is
carrying on limited management of these resources. Prin-
cipal activities are fishery surveys of the Mississippi
River below St. Paul, supervision of commercial fisheries,
and acquisition and development of two wildlife management
and public hunting areas and three public access areas
along the Mississippi River below St. Paul.
Pish kills associated with insufficient dissolved
-------
1X47
i
oxygen have occurred frequently in Pool 2 of the Mississippi:
River. Pollution is a probable cause of oxygen deficiency J
i
in parts of Pool 2. I
Fisheries surveys of the Mississippi River have
shown: (l) that several kinds of common warm-water game
fish are present above and below St. Anthony Falls; (2) i
that fewer game fish and smaller rough fish were present in
1956 in Spring Lake, a part of Pool 2, than in Pools 3, 4
i
and 5; (3) that average numbers of fish and pounds of fish j
caught in Pools 3 and U were lower in 1963 than in 1957; and ;
i
(4) that In Pool 3 the decrease in average numbers and j
*
pounds of fish caught in 1963 was more pronounced in areas
in and near the main channel than in a backwater lake little
affected by river flow. Similar surveys have not been made
on the St. Croix or Minnesota Rivers but game and rough
fish are known to be present in these rivers.
The value of commercial fish caught in Pools 2,
3, 4 and 5 of the Mississippi River in 1962 was approxi-
i
t
mately $97,500, of which $25,900 went to Minnesota fishermen.\
The catch In Pool 2 in recent years was higher than in Pools
3 and 5 but fish from Pool 2 are frequently off-flavor. |
i
Off-flavor has lowered the selling price and limited the
market of fish from Pool 2. The value of commercial fish
caught In the St. Croix River In 1962 was about $17,600.
No commercial fishing la done In the Minnesota River.
-------
1148
There IB sport fishing In nearly all the stretches
of the Mississippi River, St. Croix River and Minnesota Riv«|r
under consideration, but sport fishing is heaviest in Pools
3 and 4 of the Mississippi River and in the St. Croix River.
The Minnesota River is lightly fished. Sport fishermen have
rarely been seen on Pool 2 of the Mississippi River during
aerial counts in recent years. The aerial counts together
with ground counts of fishermen indicate low angling pressur^
on all pools of the Mississippi River compared to Minnesota
lakes. Success of anglers on fools 4 and 5 was lower in j
i
1956 and, due to more panfish caught, higher In 1962 than is!
usual on Minnesota lakes. :
The expenditures of spoilt fishermen, based on an'
economic survey conducted by the Division of Game and Fish
in 1957, are estimated to amount to about $750,000 for Pools |
{
3t 4, and 5 for the twelve months, April 1, 1962 to March 31J
1963. '
i
Waterfowl use the Mississippi River and its i
j
baclcwatere heavily and the St. Croix River and Minnesota
River to a lesser extent during migration. Some waterfowl
neat along these rivers. B'urbearing animals are trapped
along the Mississippi, St. Croix, and Minnesota rivers.
Future use of these areas by fishermen and
hunters is expected to Increase, particularly if stream
conditions remain about the same or are improved. Greatest
-------
1149
increase In use oan be expected on the Mississippi River.
It Is the opinion of the Division of Game and Fish that
present water quality standards adopted for the Mississippi
River In the Mlnneapolis-St. Paul area promise to prevent
further deterioration and may result in some Improvement of
conditions for fish in the river above Lock and Dam No. 2.
However, present and foreseeable conditions under the |
existing standards do not justify significant fisheries or
game management work on the Mississippi River between
St. Paul and Lock and Dam No. 2. To properly manage for
fish, dissolved oxygen content should not be less than 5
ppm for more than 8 hours in any 24 hour period, and at no
time less than 3 ppro.
STATE OF MINNESOTA
Department of Conservation
Division of Game and Pish
Game and Fish Values of the Mississippi River
between the Rum River at Anoka and the
Chlppewa River below Lake Pepin
i
-------
1150
INTRODUCTION
The Division of Game and Fish, Minnesota
Department of Conservation, Is concerned with the recrea-
tional and economic values of the fish and game resources
of the Mississippi River, its bottom lands, backwaters, and
tributaries between the Rum River at Anolca and the Chippewa i
River below Lake Pepln. Various parts of this area support !
commercial fishing, sport fishing, hunting and other
recreational activities connected with fish and wildlife.
Principal management programs other than regulation of
limits and seasons include surveys to obtain Information on
fish populations and fisherman use, supervision of commer-
cial fisheries, and acquisition and development of public
accesses and of wildlife management and public hunting areas
Recreational uses of water other than those re-
lated to fish and wildlife are of substantial Interest to
the Division of Game and Fish, as Is water pollution abate-
ment, but primary responsibilities In these fields are
assigned to other agencies.
In general, fish and game information contained
herein Is related to navigation pools as designated by the
U.S. Corps of Engineers. However, a ttrctch of approxi-
mately 14 mlle« of river lying between the head of the Upper
St. Anthony Pool at approximately Camden In north
-------
1151
Minneapolis and the Rum River Is not Included In a navlgatlor
pool. Although about 14 miles of river in Pool 4 lies below
the mouth of the Chlppewa River, Pool 4 is here considered
In Its entirety to utilize available fishery data. Naviga-
tion Pool 4, with reference to fishery data, is divided Into
Pool 4A comprising Lake Pepln, and the remainder of Pool 4
comprising the area above and below Lake Pepin. In several
instances data from Pool 5 are Included for further
comparison.
FISH
Fish management in the area of the river con-
sidered, other than for survey work, has been limited to
supervision of commercial fisheries, diversion of flow into
a backwater area In Pool 3 to prevent oxygen deptetlon in
winter, and transfer of catohable size catfish in most
winters from Spring Lake, a part of Pool 2, to the river*
above Minneapolis where greater utilization is expected.
Fish kills have been reported more frequently
in Pool 2 than farther downstream in Pools 3 and 4. in
Pool 2 fish kills have oeen associated with lack of or low
level* of dissolved oxygen that are probably attributable
tso pollution. Fish kills probably due to pollution have
been reported from Pool 2 both in late winter when there
low flow and ice cover and in Bummer In the main channel
-------
in the lower part of Pool 2. Data regularly collected by
Minneapolis-St. Paul Sanitary District personnel^/
I/Mississippi river analytical data tables, Minneapolls-St.
Paul Sanitary District^ Compiled annually.), and other
data gathered by the State Department of Health?/ (2/ Report
on investigation of the Mississippi River from the mouth of
the Rum River to the mouth of the St. Crolx River.
Minnesota Department of Health, Section of Water Pollution
Control, July and August, 1960 and August and September,
1961. 41 pages plus tables and figures.) indicate the
occurrence at times of oxygen levels too low for fish life
in parts of Pool 2 below St. Paul.
Fisheries survey work on the Mississippi ftiver
has included electrofishlng, test netting, creel census,
and fisherman counts. Commercial fishing records provide
additional data.
Pish populations
Common fish species known to be present in the
several pools, both above and below St. Anthony Falls, are
listed in Table 1 which is appended. This is not a complete
species list but shows that common warm-water game fishes
such as walleyes, sauger, northern pike, smallmouth bass
and blueglll are present in those stretches of the river.
-------
1153
Both game fish and rough fish occur In the
section of the Mississippi River Including Pool 1 and above
it as far as the Rum River. As to game fish, an electro-
fishing survey in 7.5 miles of the Mississippi River below
the Rum River In I960 revealed at least moderate-sized
populations of bluegills and smallmouth bass. In this area
and downstream Into Pool 1 fishermen report satisfactory
fishing for walleyes and smallroouth bass.
Pish population data were obtained in Pools
2, 3, 4, 4A and 5 In 1956 by test netting with gillnet* and
trapnets. Mean catches of these nets are shown In Table 2
which is appended. It will be noted that both gillnet and
trapnet catches of game fishes were lower In Spring Lake
(part of Pool 2) than in the pools below (Pools 3» 4* **A and
5). This relationship holds for both numbers and pounds of
game fish taken. Poundage of rough fish taken per trapnet
set was also lower in Spring Lake than In the other pools.
In general at that time, it appeared the rough fish were
fairly abundant In Spring Lake but those taken were smaller
than rough fish from the other pools. The apparent smaller
size might be attributed to removal of larger rough fish
by commercial fishing on Spring Lake.
Comparative fish population data were obtained In
Pools 3* * and 5 In 1957 and 1963 by test netting with trap-
nets. The average numbers and pounds per set of all species
-------
game and rough fish, from each pool in the two years were:
Nutnber per set founds per aet
Pool
3
4
5
mL
90
152
49
.7
.3
.0
1963
3R
43
30
.0
.6
.1
1957
82
121
36
.0
.0
.2
1963
52
51
34
.3
.3
.6
It appears that fish were less abundant in Pools 3 arsd 4 in
1963 and about the same or slightly less abundant in Pool 5
in 1963. The differences between the catches in the two
years is influenced considerably by greater abundance of carp
in the 1957 catches, but it appears from the catch data that
there has been some general decline in the size of the fish
populations In Pools 3 and 4.
A breakdown of the above comparative fish popula-
tion data from Pool 3 by areas within the Pool shows the
decrease in average numbers and pounds of fish of all species
per trapnet set in 1963 was most pronounced in tailwaters of
the Hastings Dam and in North Lake and Sturgeon Lake through j
which there Is a flow of the river. Least Indication of
change was found In Dushane Lake, a backwater area little
influenced by river flow. The catch values for different
areas In Pool 3 were:
-------
1155
Pool 3 Areas Number per set Pounds per set
1957 3L563. 1957 1963
Tailwaters of
Hastings Dam 155.7 50.2 155.5 60. P
North Lake 55-2 28.8 70.2 44.9
Sturgeon Lake 91.3 33.6 46.7 49.6
Dushane Lake 54.2 40.8 42.7 55.6
Commercla1 fishing
Commercial fishing la carried on in Pools 2, 3> 4, ]
4A and 5 by fishermen licensed by Minnesota or Wisconsin. '
Flahlng Is done with glllnets, seines and set lines. The
principal species taken are carp, buffalofish, drum (sheeps-
j
i
head) and channel catfish. Usually about two-thirds of the '
i
weight of the commercial catch is of carp. i
(
The commercial catch for the years 1958-1962 Is i
I
shown for Pools 2, 3* 4, 4A and 5 in Table 3 which Is ;
i
appended. Average yearly catch from these pools has been j
about 2.5 million pounds. Value of the catch in 1962 was
approximately $97,500 of which about $25,900 went to
Minnesota fishermen and about $71,600 went to Wisconsin
fishermen.
It will be noted from Table 3 that greatest
Intensity of commercial take was in Pools 4 and 4A where,
respectively, an average of 32.6 and 58.2 pounds of rough
-------
1156
fish per acre per year were taken during the 1958-1962 period
However, the catch In Pool 2 averaged 28.0 pounds per acre pej?
year for the four years 1959-1962. The commercial catch from
Pool 2 (oaught almost entirely in Spring Lake) indicates the
presence of a commercially harvestable rough fish population
in this part of the river. However, fish taken from Pool 2
are frequently off-flavor and such off-flavor lowers the
selling price and limits sales. Usually the fish taken in
Pool 2 are sold to buyers who can hold them In ponds until
the off-flavor disappears.
Sport fishing
There Is aport fishing throughout the stretch of
Mississippi River under consideration but it is heaviest in
Pools 3 and 4. Above Minneapolis there is considerable
angling from the mouth of the Rum River downstream into
Pool 2. Pishing is most concentrated at a few places such
as near the Coon Rapids Dam, the Highway 100 Bridge and the
Pord Dam. No quantitative estimate of fishing pressure in
or above Pool 2 has been made. Spring Lake in Pool 2 has
•ome angler use, probably more than the main part of Pool 2.
However, on aerial censuses of fishermen on the River in
recent years fishermen were rarely seen on Pool 2. This
light fishing pressure is confirmed by the local State Game
-------
1157
Warden. Off-flavor in game flah taken from Pool 2 has been
reported by sport fishermen. In 1956 fishing succeed for
walleyes, northern pike and catfish in Spring Lake of Pool 2
was reported to be low and to have declined during the pre-
ceding 15 years.
Counts of fishermen on Pools of the Mississippi
River were made from the air and from the ground during the
fishing year, April 1, 1962 to March 31, 1963. Estimates
of the total number of man-hours of fishing per acre per year
in Pools 3, 4, and 5 of the Mississippi River are compared !
below with similar data from five south-central Minnesota
lakesi
Total angling hours
Water Pishing year per acre per year
Pool 3 62-63 1.8
Pool 4 62-63 10.9
Pool 5 62-63 12.5
Inland lakes 57-58 47.4
A survey of the economic value of the sport
fishery on the Mississippi River, which was conducted in
1957-2/ (2/ The economic value of the Minnesota sport fishery
on the Mississippi River, Section of Research and Planning,
Minnesota Division of Game and Pish, 1957.), Indicated the
average yearly expenditure per person for fishing on the
-------
1158
Mississippi River was about $50. Baaed on the estimated
numbers of fishermen using Pools 3> 4 and 5 in the fishing
year, April 1, 1962 to March 31, 1963, the sport fishermen
expenditures related to these pools were*
Pool
3
4
5
Expenditure per year
$ 42,200
$ 549,200
$ 162,150
$ 753,550
Creel censuses on Pools 3* 4 and 5 during the
summers of 1956 and 1962 indicate fairly good sport fishing
success. The figures for average number of fish caught per
hour of fishing are compared below with similar data from
14 Minnesota Lakes:
Water
Pool 3
Pool 4
Pool 5
Inland lakes
1956
0.36
0.37
0.38
0.71
1962
«•
0.84
0.94
The higher catch rate in 1962 reflects mostly larger catches
cf sunfish made in that year.
-------
1159
GAME
Game management activities along the Mississippi !
!
i
River are principally development and maintenance of wildlife j
i
i
management and public hunting grounds and acquisition and |
development of public accesses for the benefit of fishermen
and boaters as well as hunters.
At the present time there are seven public accesses;
recognized by the Division of Game and Fish for the part of i
i
the river being considered. Of these the Division of Game I
i
and Pish owns three as Indicated below? ;
Mississippi River At Champlin (Champlin Village) j
Mississippi River Pool 2 St. Paul (Ramsey County) j
i
Vermllllon River Pool 3 Near Hastings (Game and Fish) i
North Lake Pool 3 Near Etter (Game and Fish) j
Sturgeon Lake Pool 3 Near Eggleston (Game and Fish) I
i
',
Lake Pepln Pool 4 Near Frontenac (Minnesota Highway j
Department) •
i
Lake Pepln Pool 4 Near Lake City (Minnesota Highway
Department)
It is expected that more accesses will be acquired and
developed In the future.
At the present time two Wildlife Management and
Public Hunting Areas located on bottom lands of Pool 3 are
influenced by the river. These areas are the Gores-Pool 3
-------
1160
Wilt containing 5*^30 acres In Dakota and Ooodhue Counties
and the Wood Duck Unit, now being acquired, to contain 463
acres in Dakota County.
Management of theae areas will be intensified in
the future and it is expected that hunter use will increase.
Waterfowl
Migrating waterfowl use the Mississippi River and !
its backwaters, particularly below the Twin Cities. There
also is some waterfowl nesting along the Mississippi River
between the Rum River and the Chlppewa River below Lake Pepln.
Data obtained by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Indicate j
!
i
the largest number of birds using the river In the area below
Pool 5 to the Iowa line on any one day during the spring
ranged from 119,801 to 296,870 birds In the years 1959 through
1963. While these data were collected from the area down-
stream from Lake Pepln, It seems reasonable that they may be
projected to indicate potential waterfowl use of Pools 4, 3
and 2 upstream. A decline in waterfowl use of Pool 2 during
the past several years is reported by the local State Game
Warden. Waterfowl hunter use of parts of Pools 2, 3 and 4
la considered moderate to heavy.
Ducks killed or affected by oil in Pools 2, 3 and
4 in the spring of 1963 give further indication of waterfowl
-------
1X61
use. In this Instance, It was calculated that 4,800 birds
were killed by oil (a«e report on Waterfowl Mortality Caused
by Oil Pollution of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers in
1963 which is appended). Following losa due to oil between
March 28 and about April 2, 1963, an estimated 10,000 water-
fowl were observed between St. Paul and Red Wing on April 9
and an estimated 20,000 were observed between Red Wing and
the lower end of Lake Pepin on April 11.
Furbearers
Muskrats, beaver and mink are common along the I
Mississippi River and in backwater areas. A considerable j
i
amount of trapping is done along the entire stretch of river |
i
under consideration, but no accurate statistics of the
trapping pressure are available.
TRIBUTARIES
St. Croix River
Sport and commercial fishing is carried out on the
St. Croix River between Taylors Falls and the mouth, a
distance of approximately 45 mllea. For the years 1958
through 1962 a yearly average of 369,225 pounds of rough fish
-------
1162
(including catfish) were taken by commercial fishermen. The
value of the commercial catch from the St. Crolx River in
1962 was approximately $17,600. There is no quantitative
information on the use of the St. Croix River by sport fisher-
men but letters, telephone reports, press releases and
observations by Division of Game and Fish field personnel
provide evidence of considerable sport fishing. Of 348 boats
counted from the air on about 20 miles of river between
Prescott and Stillwater on Memorial Day, 1963* 18 appeared
to be engaged in fishing. Off-flavor in walleyes caught
downstream from Hudson, Wisconsin has been reported by sport
fishermen. Common species of fish in the St. Crolx River
are shown in Table 4 which is appended.
There are no Division of Game and Fish wildlife
management or public hunting areas along the St. Crolx River
below Taylors Palls. One public access owned by the Minnesota
Highway Department is located at Stillwater. Some waterfowl
use the river during migration and some ducks, principally
wood ducks, neet along the river. Waterfowl hunters use the
river upstream from Stillwater. Trapping is done for beaver
and mink and a limited amount for muskrat along the St. Croix
River.
Minnesota River
-------
1163
The Minnesota River from the mouth of the river to
Henderson, approximately 69 miles upstream, contains some
game fish. Sport fishing, primarily for catfish and walleyes,
is done at a few places such an the falls and rapids near
Carver. No commercial fishing Is carried out in this part
of the Minnesota River. I
i
Information on fish in the Minnesota River was i
t
obtained in a survey conducted in 1950-% (-/Survey of the •
i
Minnesota River. Section of Research and Planning, Minnesota j
Division of Game and Pish, March, I960.) The common species j
i
of fish recorded between the mouth of the river and rtenderson
are shoxm on Tablf lj> which is appended. The data on abundance!
i
of fish are insufficient to allow comparison with other fishingj
waters but are Indicative of a relatively low population. j
j
Game fish made up a snail part of the total sample (6.9 per i
cent between the mouth and Shakopee, and 16.9 percent between j
!
Shakopeo and Henderson). !
!
The Minnesota River between the mouth and Henderson
is lightly fished compared to other fishing waters in
Minnesota. A few fishermen contacted near Shakopee In 1958,
indicated general satisfaction with fishing success at that
time. In 19^3 the local State Game Warden observed some
reduction In fishing between Shakopee and Henderson which was
attributed locally to a reaction to oil pollution in the
spring of 1963. In some winters game fish are rescued by
-------
1X64
seining by state crews from backwater lakes In the Mendota
area when dissolved oxygen levels drop.
There are no Division of Game and Fish wildlife
management or public hunting areas along the Minnesota River
below Henderson. One public access is presently being
acquired near State Highway 65 in Bloomlngton. Waterfowl use
the Minnesota River and flood-plain lakes during migration,
i
although to a lesser extent than they do the Mississippi Riverj
and its backwaters downstream. Some ducks nest along the j
Minnesota River. Waterfowl hunter use of flood-plain lakes
below Shakopee is quite extensive and several areas are
controlled by hunting clubs. Most flood-plain lakes are not i
affected by the river except at times of unusually high flow. !
t
Muskrats are common along the Minnesota River and other fur- j
bearers are present. Trapping is done between Henderson and I
the mouth of the river.
Future Uses
The Mississippi River between the Rum River and
the St. Croix River is at present little used by fishermen
compared to the Navigation Pools downstream. In general the
Mississippi River is fished less intensively than many other
fishing waters in the state at the present time. It is
probable, however, that the Mississippi River both between
-------
1165
the Rum River and the St. Crolx River and In the pools
downstream will be used more by fishermen In the future and
values related to fishing will Increase If stream conditions
are suitable for fish life.
Present water quality standards adopted for the
Mississippi River between the Rum River and Lock and Dam No. 2
promise to prevent further deterioration and may result in
some improvement of conditions for fish in the river above
i
Lock and Dam No, 2, particularly if flow patterns remain about
the same. However, present and foreseeable conditions under
the existing standards do not insure a sustained population
of rough fish or game fish of good quality in all parts of j
i
i
Pool 2 and do not justify significant fisheries or game managej-
i
i
ment work on the Mississippi River between St. Paul and Lock j
and Dam No. 2. To properly manage for fish, dissolved oxygen
content should not be less than 5 ppm (parts per million) for
more than 8 hours in any 24 hour period, and at no time less
5/
than 3 ppm. (*" Aquatic life water quality criteria, first
progress report. Aquatic Life Advisory Committee of the Ohio
River Valley Water Sanitation Commission, Sewage and Industri-
al Wastes, Vol. 27, No. 3, May, 1955.)
The St. Crolx River below Taylors Palls and the
Minnesota River below Henderson probably will also be used
more In the future by fishermen and will Increase In values
related to fishing if stream conditions are suitable for fish.
-------
1166
In the lightly fished Minnesota River, both pollution abate-
ment and other Improvement of the stream la desirable.
It is probable that game management activities
will be expanded and be intensified along the sections of the j
Mississippi River, Minnesota River and St. Crolx River under
consideration. It is probable also, that waterfowl hunter
use of portions of these areas will be heavier in the future
and that trapping of furbearers will continue.
Bernard R, Jones, Supervisor
Biological Services Unit
Section of Research and Planning
Approved
John B. Moyle, Supervisor
Section of Research and Planning
-------
-1 ,- ' 1X67
STATE OF MIMESOTA
Department of Conservation
Division of Game and Fish
Table 1.- Conuion species of fieh in the Mississippi River between the Rum
River and Chippewa River I/
Rum
Species to
Game Species
Walleye
Sauger
Northern pike
Black crappie
White crappie
Largemouth bass
Smallmouth bass
Rock bass
White bass
Bluegill
Channel catfish
Shovelnose sturgeon
Fathead catfish
Green sunfish
Pumpkins eed sunfiea
Rough fish
Carp
Sheepshead
Brown bullhead
Bigmouth buffalo
Northern carpsucke^.
Northern redhorse
Loagnose gar
Shortnose gar
Bowfin
Mooneye
Gizzard shad
Common sucker
Spotted sucker
Yellow bullhead
Black bullhead
Golden shiner
Yellow perch
River sucker
River
Camden
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
)f
I
P
P
P
P
Upper p ..
St. Anthony
Pool 1
P « Present
a
o
•H
(4
o
-------
-J4-
1168
STATE OF MIVKKSOTA
Department of Conservation
Division of 4**« aad Fi»k
Table 2.- Mean numbers and weight* of fiah per set lift in the upper
navigation pools of the Mississippi Diver in 1956
Waters
(Same Fish per set
Number Pounds
Qill Trap Gill Trap
net net net net
Rough Fish per
Number
Gill
net
Trap
net
Pounds
Gill Trap
net net
Rum River to Camden
Upper St. Anthony Pool
Pool 1
Mo comparable data
Ne comparable data
No comparable data
Pool 2
(Spring Lake)
Pool 3
Pool 4
(includes part of
Lake Pepin)*
Pool 4A
(includes part of
1.7
4.0
1.3
8.6
31.7 19.3
1.9 0.5
4.1 7.6
19.9 1^.8
21.0 ^f.3
6.2 21.7
12.6 3.0
9.1 ^.1
5.8 5^.8
8.7 9.3
Lake Pepin)*
Pool 5
26.
2.
8
7
14.8
3.5
13.8
2.6
9
5
.0
.1
7
2
.2
.8
10.3
5.3
9.5
5.4
36.0
20.6
* In 1956 only, la subsequent years Pool 4A designated Lake Pepin and
Pool 4 the areas above and below Lake Pepin la Navigation Pool 4.
-------
-15-
STATE OF MIMHESOTA
Department of Conservation
Division of Game and Fish
Table 3«- Commercial fish catch in the upper navigation pools of the
Mississippi River by licensed fishermen, Minnesota and
Wisconsin combined
Pool No.
Year Acres *
1962
1961
I960
1959
1958
Mean
Average pounds
per acre per year
2
(11,811)
331,587
344,345
326,524
322,025
none
331,618**
28.0
3
(17,950)
46,035
104,180
118,812
21,160
16,763
65,710
3.4
4
(13,820)
467,628
358,508
450,617
419,165
554,923
4>O , IbO
32.6
4A
(25,000)
1,402,451
1,378,206
1,178,273
1,553*024
1,763,898
l,4^,iyo
58.2
5
(12,580)
178,004
218,768
163,349
121,4-39
95,410
i»,39b
12. -L
* Corp»of Engineers data.
** 4-y«ar average, no fishing done in Pool 2 in 1958.
-------
1170
STATE OP MINNESOTA
Department of Conservation
Division of Game and Plah
Table 4.- Common species of fish in the St. Crolx River below
Taylors Palls I/
Game Fish Rough Fish
Lake Sturgeon Gar (short nose and long noae)
Northern pike Gizzard shad
Channel catfish Mooneys
Flathead catfish Carp
Rock bass Qulllback
White bass Blue sucker
Smallraouth bass Bigtnouth buffalo
Black crappie Northern redhorse
Sauger Sheepshead
Walleye
I/ This list indicates those species known to be present
through fisheries surveys and fisherman reports. It is not
a complete list of species.
-------
1171
STATE OP MINNESOTA
Department of Conservation
Division of Game and Pish
Table 3.- Common speclea of fish In the Minnesota River
between the mouth of the river and Henderson I/
Rough Flan
Carp
Gizzard shad
Sheepshead
Northern redhorse
Carp sucker
Bigmouth buffalofish
Qulllback
Shortnose gar
Silver redhorse
Common sucker
Dogfiah
Hog sucker
Smallmouth buffaloflsh
I/ This list Indicates those species known to be present
through fisheries surveys and fisherman reports. It is
not a complete list of species.
Game Pish
Sauger
White bass
Northern pike
White crapple
Plathead catfish
Black crappie
Walleye
Largemouth bass
Channel catfish
Smallmouth basa
* » *
-------
1172
MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OP CONSERVATION
DIVISION OP GAME AND PISH
Waterfowl Mortality Caused by Oil Pollution
of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers In 1963
INTRODUCTION
Following breakup of Ice on the Minnesota and
Mississippi Rivera In late March and early April, 1963, many
waterfowl, especially ducks, were killed by oil on the surface
of the water. Other birds were harmed when their feathers
became coated with varying amounts of oil. Waterfowl losses
I occurred on approximately 60 miles of the Mississippi River
i
j
ifrotn the mouth of the Minnesota River downstream to Lake Pepin
The major loss, however, occurred in three areas: (1) Spring
Lake in Navigation Pool No. 2 above Hastings, Minnesota,
(2) North and Sturgeon Lakes in Navigation Pool No. 3 below
Hastings and (3) the headwaters of Lake Pepln including Mud
Lake on the Wisconsin side of the main channel.
The oil responsible for the waterfowl and other
wildlife damage and mortality carae from two sources* (l)
the Honeymead Products Company Plant at Mankato, Minnesota
from which it was estimated 1-1 1/2 million gallons of soy-
oil escaped to the Blue Earth River on January 23* 1963*
-------
1X73
and (2) the Richards Oil Company at Savage, Minnesota
where an estimated one million gallons of petroleum oil de-
scribed as a "low viscosity cutting oil" escaped to the
Minnesota River and adjacent marshland sometime In December,
1962. I/ ( i/ Estimates of quantities of oil are from the
Section of Water Pollution Control, Minnesota, Department of
Health.)
The purpose of this report is to summarize prin-
cipal activities of the Division of Game and Fiah, Minnesota
Department of Conservation and to set forth the character and
extent of waterfowl and other wildlife losses attributed to
oil pollution of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers in
iMarch and April, 1963.
MOVEMENT AND APPEARANCE OP THE OIL
The petroleum oil escaped to the Minnesota River
near Savage from a marsh which was flooded with oil when
storage facilities failed at the Richards Oil Company. Oil
from this source was noted at the Black Dog Plant of the
Northern States Power Company 4 to 5 miles below Savage on
December 23, 1963. Some oil from this source probably flowed
i
bo the river at times during January and February, 1963, and
i substantial amount evidently entered the river during the
>erlod of spring runoff. A large quantity of oil, apparently
-------
1174
petroleum oil, was evident on the Minnesota River In early
and mid-March but It should be noted that later the petroleum
oil could not be distinguished by field observation from light
slicks of soybean oil. Analyses of seven oil samples from the
Mississippi River on several dates by the Minnesota Department
of Health showed petroleum oil present In only one Instance
after March 25 suggesting that by this date much of petroleum
oil had moved downstream ahead of the soybean oil or had
I
otherwise dissipated. (Appendix A) j
Soybean oil reached the Minnesota River via a shortj
stretch of the Blue Earth River when storage facilities of the'
Honeytnead Products Company plant failed In January 1963 during
a period of very cold weather. The soybean oil apparently
moved very little until breakup of ice In the Minnesota River
in late March, but then it flowed rapidly downstream. This
oil is of a very heavy consistency at temperatures below
freezing. At the time of aerial observation of oil and census
of waterfowl on March 26, heavy orange-red slicks of soybean
oil were seen in the main channel at Lock and Dam No. 2, on
the Mississippi River at Hastings.
Oil entered Spring Lake in Pool No. 2, the area
of heaviest waterfowl damage, when the Ice went out on March
28 and moved downstream Into the upper end of Lake Pepln
when Ice went out on this lake, about April 2. Personnel of
the Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army, reported the largest
-------
1175
amount of oil went through Look and Dam No. 3 about 12 mllea
above Lake Pepin on April 2. Members of a tow barge crew
reported oil on Lake Pepin in the vicinity of Maiden Hook on
April 3 and localized accumulations of oil were eeen at this
time and later by Division of Game and Pish personnel on the
bottom and along shore in the vicinity of Bay City and
Prontenac. Traces of oil were seen by Game and Pish personnel
at Lake City approximately midway on Lake Pepin but apparently
t
no significarib amount of oil reached the outlet of Lake Pepin. j
|
The character of soybean oil on and in the water j
i
changed with time. The thick orange-colored slicks which were
first observed changed to pliable greyish and somewhat rubbery
floating masses. These masses were stringy, rope-like or
somewhat rounded. In a few places a sticky layer of similar
color was deposited on the bottom. As oil moved downstream
from the sources it lodged in small shoreline indentations,
accumulated on beaches, and coated debris and shoreline
vegetation. Soybean oil was most evident, since it left a
varnish-like crust on beaches, debris and vegetation. Only
limited areas of bottom were apparently covered with soybean
oil, most notably in Lake Pepin in the vicinity of Bay City
and Prontenac. Light oil slicks were observed to form around
some of the floating consolidated oil masses apparently when
the outer shell or membrane of the masa was ruptured. Light
iridescent slicks of sufficient size to cause concern for
-------
1176
waterfowl were at111 present on backwater lakes of the river
near Lock and Dam No. 3 on April 11, but no significant water-
fowl damage was observed after about April 2. The peak of
waterfowl damage in the areas of major loss occurred within
a day or two after Ice went out.
WATERFOWL RESCUE OPERATION
Movement of soybean oil down the Minnesota River
and Into the Mississippi River was reported by State Game
Wardens the forenoon of March 26. Aerial survey on March 26
by a Division Biologist and Game Manager team and by Game j
j
Wardens revealed approximately 3,000 ducks on the Mississippi j
River between St. Paul and the head of Lake Pepln but no
significant number of ducks on the Minnesota River. None
of the ducks seen on this date appeared to be affected by
oil. Observation by boat on March 27 revealed no waterfowl
affected by oil in the main channel and ice-free backwaters
in Pool No. 2. Spring Lake, the principal water area In
Pool No. 2, was ice covered on March 27. On March 28 the
Ice went out of Spring Lake and in Spring Lake on this date
the first report of oll-aoaked ducks was Investigated and
confirmed by a Division Waterfowl Biologist who found 4 live
and 9 dead ducks. On March 30, 150 live and 24 dead oil-
soaked ducks were collected on Spring Lake and on North Lake
-------
1177
a few miles below Hastings. On the following day, 518 live
birds were rescued In these areas. Intensive rescue opera-
tions were Initiated on April 1 and continued through April 5
when only a few affected live ducks were still being found.
A few 2-man crews were kept In the area to April 12 and
thereafter to April 30 the affected areas were watched by
Division personnel stationed In the area.
Information on the scope of the rescue operations
was obtained from a questionnaire sent to all known partici-
pants (Appendix B). In terms of man-power the rescue opera-
tion involved B8 State Game and Pish employees, 15 U. S. Flah
and Wildlife Service employees and 6 other persons who worked i
(
an aggregate 43$ man days. Equipment use totalled 47 flights i
j
of aircraft, 220 use-days for boats and motors and 37 use-dayaj
!
for trucks. Estimated cost to the Division of Game and Pish I
i
t
was approximately $19,000. Rescue work In addition to the
above waa carried out by the Minnesota National Guard and
private Individuals not reached by the questionnaire.
Most of the live oil-soaked ducks were cleaned at
Carlos Avery Game Farm of the Division of Game and Flah but
many were also cleaned at the Como Park Zoo in St. Paul and
at the private residence of George Serbesku at Spring Lake.
Cleaning agents and procedures used included several house-
hold detergents; the product Amway, manufactured by the Amway
Company; and Triton X-100, a Rohm and Haas Company product.
-------
1178
The latter was worked Into the feathers by hand, followed by
washing the bird after 2 to 3 ffllnutes with a solution con-
taining 1 tablespoon trisodium phosphate and 1 tablespoon of
Calgon per gallon of water. The bird was then rinsed In olea
water. None of the materials or procedures tried resulted
In eaay efficient removal of oil. On many of the birds the
oil had set to a paint-like consistency. Many of the birds
were given an eyedropper of glucose (corn syrup) after rescue
to offset shock.
Pour hundred and sixty-six or 3^ percent of the
washed ducks were alive in pens on July 1 and of this number
approximately 350 flew free before October 1 after moulting
in July and August. The remaining birds flew free prior to
freeze-up on about November 30. Detailed information on care
given and factors related to survival of rescued ducks can be
obtained from the Game Research Unit, Section of Research and
Planning, Division of Game and Pish.
The effectiveness of several recommended eoulsl*
flers and dlspersants and of diatomaceous earth for removal
of oil from the water surface was investigated. Before using
emulsifiers or dispersants, however, it was necessary to
determine their toxlclty to fish, especially since most were
proprietary products whose exact chemical composition was
unknown.
The four products which appeared most promising
-------
1179
and on which preliminary bloassays to determine toxicity to
fish were run are listed below together with the toxicity
data obtained:
Products
Wyandotte ULC
(Wyandottc
Chemical Co.)
Pranks Formula
(T. J. Prank Co.,
Mpls.)
Triton X-100
(Rhom -Haas Co.)
Gamlin Spill
Remover
Time |
Test Solution Tim
Pull strength, 75/ ppm "?.k hours \
!
23 percent active !
\
ingredient j
t
1 ounce per gallon 100/ ppm 24 hours j
25 percent solution 100/ ppm 2*1 hours !
25 percent solution [SO/ ppm 17 hours
The Tim (median tolerance limit) is the concentra~
tion at which 50 percent of the teat figh were killed in the
time indicated.
Field trials on oil slicks were made with Wyandotte
ULC and Franks Formula. Because of immediate availability,
Franks Formula was chosen for initial use at rates of 30 and
60 pounds per acre on light and heavy slicks, respectively.
-------
1180
Wyandotte ULC appeared equally safe and effective at an
initial application rate of approximately 20 gallons per acre.
The use of dlatomaceous earth, suggested by repre-
sentatives of the U. S. Public Health Service, was also
explored. Laboratory work by the Minnesota Department of
Health Indicated about one pound of dlatomaceous earth would
be needed to remove four pounds of pure soybean oil
(Appendix A). Limited field trials indicated several appli-
cations at a rate of possibly 200 to 300 pounds per acre
might be required to remove a moderately heavy oil slick.
The limited experiences with emulsifiers, dls-
persants and diatomaceoua earth as described above suggested
their use would be most practical in relatively small areas
of perhaps 100 acres or less. Also, possible adjustment of
the suggested initial application rates should be considered
in the course of practical use.
Related to duck rescue, also, were the efforts of
the Minnesota National Guard to mechanically remove oil and
divert oil from backwater areas where waterfowl were most
likely to concentrate.
EVALUATION OP WATERFOWL LOSSES
The number of live oil-soaked ducks rescued was
1,369 and the number of dead birds collected in the field and
-------
1181
placed In cold storage was 1,^42. Many dead birda were aeon
but were not collected while live birds could still be found.
The ratio of live ducks rescued to dead ducks seen, based on i
i
the questionnaire completed by Individuals in the field on i
i
i
the rescue operation was 1:2.96 (Appendix B). If this ratio j
is used, recognising there in duplication of counts in both j
categortef5 since undoubtedly some hirds were seen pnd reported!
i
by tnorp than one person, th<- estimated number of dead ducks i
i
on the river including tl>^ dead dunks collected is calculated !
i
at approximately ;!-,nOO. Including the live birds affected
but rescued it would appear that a total of approximately
5,300 birds wer*= affected or killed by oil. However, sinc^
ducks heavily covered with oil tended, to crawl into dense
cover where they were hard to find and some ducks exposed to
oil may have flown several milon before being overcome, the
total number of duoks lost is probably substantially greater
than the calculated loss of about 4,POO (r>,300 minus 466
survivors).
Composition of the duck kill was determined by
examination of 2,7^5 dead birds which had been placed in cold
storage and which were later examined by Waterfowl Biologists.
These were the birds collected dead and those which died
after rescue. The numbers of birds by species found in this
examination are summarized on the following page (see also
Appendix C).
-------
1182
Species Number
Lesser scaup duck 1,800
Rinpneckrd duck U^7
Coots and grebes 268
Golunvyr duck 70
'•fe-^.» ,:uck 35
:3ur*'l' h'vul duck 2
^ile clucks , other than vjood ducks
Total ,.,,-, ,
i
fov:! lost ropresents a real monetary
value. Based on dnt- -ornpllr>o, by the U.S. Pish and Wildlife
Service for- 19^0, the national nve^aj'e expenditure per duck
In the vnterfov:! hunter's bag for that year was $12.00.^
( 2/ Data obtained from the I960 National Survey of Fishing
and Hunting and the Waterfowl Status Report, 1961.) In 1962
the State of Illinois placed a value of $5.00 per bird on
ducks killed by water pollution.^ ( ** Personal communication
May 6, 1963 from William J. Harth, Superintendent, Division of
Fisheries, Illinois Department of Conservation.) It la felt
that a value of not less than $5.00 per bird should be placed
on the waterfowl killed on the Mississippi River in Minnesota
-------
1183 j
in 1963. This value is considered to bo the basic intrinsic :
i
worth of the bird and unrelated to costs of rescue and main- j
i
tenanoe of the birds afterwards. i
i
OTHER WILDLIFE LOSSES
l-'.-jmrnnls and other1 nriimals w-^i"~ reported ac seen :
!<"p.~ ( Mpe>-.'.. !:•; ?) In t!:-: ^oll evlnp; numbers: 26 beaver, 1'"'7
i
nuakr«ts rjnn about r<0 "other;"'1 (includes i°ow, dor;, gulls, :
herons, kingfinher, plgoono, pi", skunk, squirrel, turtles, j
i
blackbirds ynd songbirds). It seemn likely that many of the ;
^nimaln 1o t i?s '"other" f^tcco2'iy died from o''iu3^s unrclntoci •
to o±l nnd the counts of beaver and nuskrat arr.- probnbly j
high since many of thcne anitnnlo v;.'-'re probably seen anc
i
reported by more than one person, j
i
i
i
Fi.ib were apparently directly effected very little I
i
by the oil spills. Of approximately 7,000 dead fiah reported ;
seen, 2^7 were listed as recently dead and most of these were •
carp. Winterkill is common 3n shallow backwater areas of the
river and it was the opinion of persona on rescue work ex-
perienced with fish kills that the dead fish seen most probabl
died from causes other than oil pollution.
Bottom fauna of value as fish food may have been
temporarily effected to some extent in localined areas but it
is doubtful that any significant or permanent loss occurred.
-------
1184
I
This conclusion la substantiated by reports on sampleo col-
lected by U. S. Public Health Service Personnel-^-i/ Progress j
Report to Colonel Leon H. Hagen, Assistant Adjutant General,
Minnesota Department of Military Affairs dated April 30, 1963
from Mr. P. E. DeMartini, Chief, Technical Advisory and
Investigations Section, Technical Services Branch, DWSPC,
U. £. Public Health Service, Cincinnati.) and by data collects
from six stations In the Red Wing-Lake Pepin area by the
Section of Research and Planning, Division of Game and Pish
after oil contamination In 1963 (Appendix D).
/&/ BERNARD R. JONES
3
Bernard R. Jonen, Supervisor
Biological Services Unit
Section of Research and Planning
/S/ ROBERT L, JESSEN
Robert L. Jessen, Research Biologist j
Game Research Unit
Section of Research and Planning
/S/ MILO CASEY
Milo Casey, Regional Game Manager
Section of Game
-------
1185
Approved:
/S/ JOHN B. MOYLB
John B. Moylpj, Supervisor
Section of Research and Planning
i
/S/ DAVID B. VESALL j
David B. Vesall, Supervisor
Section of Game
October 31, 1963
# * * *
-------
1166
Appendix A
MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OP HEALTH
Division of Environmental Sanitation
Section of Engineering Laboratories
LABORATORY STUDIES OF OIL
.'ECOVEREP PROM SAVAGE AiMD MANKATO SPILLS
Nino-toon oil samples have boon collected and
c'iara .1;-ri^rri In this stud;/. The results are summarized In
thr attached table.
Initially samples wore extracted with chloroform.
The chloroform and aqueous phases were separated and the
cMo -o 'O:T)(! phase filtered through nodlum porosity paper.
Part <••-• ;if. chloroform solution was treated with activated
carbon, and both parts were placed on a steam bath to
evaporate the chloroform. Im'ra-red studies were made of
the oil residue.
This treatment was satisfactory for soybean oil,
but the petroleum oil under investigation had volatile
aromatic constituents which were mostly removed during treat-
ment. The use of irtran—2 windows makes it possible to
handle wet samples in the Infra-red apparatus and the pro-
cedure finally used in preparing samples waa simply that of
drawing off as dry a portion as possible after the sample
had been allowed to atand for several hours. This procedure
-------
118?
could be expected to eliminate losses of volatile constitu-
ents in the laboratory, but the samples containing petroleum
oil were still low 1n aromatics. Apparently these materials
tend to disappear rapidly, possibly by evaporation, from the
spilled material.
Oil samples were mechanically removed from the
ducks police J-<-<'• > :\ this study and analyzed directly without
treatment.
At times, the o:< 1 7/vb !-•••> i oil. In boiling water, thr oil
*
i
started to float on the surface,, releasing a considerable j
i
quantity of sand and c!lrt ao well an water-soaked tv:igs and ;
!
leaves. Thr t^nr"'<'n^y to s j nk apparently resulted from the !
i
I
cntr*»prrtfMTb of this heavy nvat^riol in the oily mass. j
*
The use of a finely divided material such an i
i
!
diatomacrous earth, which would not readily separate from
th" oil, h^cl been suggested as n means of causing the oil
to sink to the bottom and remain there until decomposed.
Laboratory experiments Indicated that for pure soybean oil
one pound of diatomaceous earth would be required for every
four pounds of oil. Less diatomaceous earth would probably
bo ner-drd in actual use since the oil would already have
entrapped some fine clay, etc. The stability of thr mixture
-------
use
with time is still being tested.
A BOD (5-day biochemical oxygen demand) study was
made of material collected from the beach at Wacouta,
Minnesota, in Upper Lake Pepin on <\pril 17. The sample was
prepared for the BOD test by macerating 6.4 grams of the
solivj material v:ith 2'!', ml. (milliliters) of water in a
i
Waring blonder. The resulting mixture was then diluted with \
i
BOD dilution Tjater in BOD bottles, seeded with river water, j
o '
and incubatoj for P days at 20 C.
Dilutions v.'hloh provided useful oxygen depletion
data, 'rid the oxygen measurements obtained, were as follows:
Sample Concentration Oxygen mg of Oxygrn j
I
in Laboratory Bottle Depletion consumed per !
(mg/l.)_ (rng/l) mg of sample
r>2 4.3 O.OB
26 2.7 0.10
10.4 1.4 0.13
S.2 1.0 0.19
The increase in thr BOD with greater dilution
appears to be attributable to the low solubility of the
material. The results Indicate a relatively low BOD for
organic material. It would not under conditions in the
stream or lake exert an oxygen demand as great as obtained
-------
1189
in the laboratory, since the sample waa thoroughly macerated
and mixed before the analysis. The material normally occura
In the river in large pieces and would not expose much surface
area to bacterial activity.
It appears that oily material typical of the
sample analyzed would not have sufficient oxygen demand to
significantly affect the oxygen resources of the river.
-------
-9-
1190
Appendix A
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-10-
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-------
-11-
MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION
DIVISION OF GAME AND FISH
390 Centennial Building
St. Paul 1, Minnesota
1192
Appendix B
April 8, 1963
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
TO:
Departmental personnel and others who aided in the duck rescue
operation
FROM: Gordon Wollan, Director, Minnesota Division of Game and Fish
SUBJECT: Duck Rescue Operation
Because of financial considerations and use of Federal Aid personnel
on the duck rescue operation we will have to prepare shortly a report on
all phases of the duck rescue. The attached questionnaire has been pre-
pared to gather the information needed. Please fill out one of the at-
tached sheets giving information on your part in the rescue operation.
Date and fill in one column for each day you were on this job. Please
return the filled-out questionnaire to me as soon as possible.
Indicate whether dead fish seen (if any) were fresh or had been dead
for some time. If you used a dog in searching for ducks, indicate under
"Notes". Also include under "Notes" any special observations or ideas
that may be helpful in future emergencies of this kind. If more space
is needed use back of sheet.
Since the same sheet is going out to all persons concerned, some of
the information requested may not be applicable to you. We do not have
a record of all volunteers who helped on the job. If you know of such,
please have each one fill one of the additional attached sheets.
Thank you for your help in this emergency.
/s/ Gordon Wollan
-------
-12-
1193
Appendix B
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-------
Appendix B
Tabulation of Data from Questionnaires
Returned by Persons In Duck Rescue and
Kol^ted Job;-., March lr> through April 25, 1963
In nil. ''X questionnaires v/ore returned. Because
of variation •'•-. "'lllnp out tlse forrao nomo Judgment Is
Involved 1.n t'ic tabulation of the dota. Thr totals -- except
for number of Of-oplo Involved, nan-Mays worked and hours
worked -- ^"'T' probably tu': '.if/' ™ince the clucks reported
rcroui^ oi1 tr.f. d''>-T-' ';I.;C'-;G -an:; other animals x^eported seen
na?. "-.nve b'^en p^^u r-,ivj r? ported b;/ more than one Individual.
-Moo. in sone C.-IDCS, oi'tly npproxliiiato numbers are given on
these sheets. Aotlvltlei of thr National Guard are not
Included.
1. Personnel reporting - nui.'ibi'-'r of persons
FOCI' -:"-:>"
Othory
1'.
Total
109
-------
1195
Appendix B
2. Breakdown of stat<^ personnrl reportInp;
Game wnvdcnf! 30
Bioloi'iots 19
Flyho-r-lf-!; pernomiol 9
To-hp'1 ;T,
". Xlm": of ;or'c OCA'-- - <:vr:n-d"y3 or r>ortlor.s thereof
IXic^c r.">3^ur In the field 17''
Othrr v/ork lMo.luc.1 a^ washluf
of duc kn, •" 1 P 1 (i Ruperv "I ^ 1 on«
travel from '\ornr ":f,ottons, !
off loo details, firlci •
I
^ nfjp^ction for oil, use of i
i
omulfllflors, construction of
o! 1 barriers, n nd t \o t
spec Ifled
Total 438
Most of the work wan done during the period April 1 through
April 6 Inclusive.
-------
1196
Appendix B
4. Areas of work - man-dayn or portions thereof
Sprlnp Lake and vicinity, including
North and Sturgeon Lakes
Carlos A
Other , including Minnesota and
Mississippi Rivers
Total
189
36
213
438
Hourt? worked an-.l reported
State- employees
Federal employees
Other
Total
6. Duoks rescued and arm
(including coots and grebes)
Live ducks reported rescued 2,704
Dead ducks reported seen 8,003
Ratio of rescued ducks to dead ducks Ii2.96
Note - there Is undoubtedly duplication of counts In both
categories.
-------
1197
Appendix B
7. Dead fish seen
Total reported about 7,000
Reported as "frech dead" 247
Note - personnel experienced with fish kills nearly all
reported the fish seen were carp arid were fish that
!-ad boon dead for some time --- probably winterkills
in backwaters.
f;. Reports of other dr-ad animals seen
Beaver 26
Muskrats IT
Others about "0
*
i
Others include: crow, 'log, r:;ulls, aeroris, kingfisher, j
I
i
parakeets, pip;, pigeons, skunks, squirrel, j
t
turtles, blackbirds, and oongbirds. !
i
Note - Counts of these animals are very doubtful, nince many I
i
of these animals were probably seen more than once.
There was, for example, a beaver at the landing at
Spring Lake that was seen by many persons. There are
always some dead animals that can be found in the
river whether there is pollution or not, especially
after ice break-up in spring. Most of these animals
were reported for the period March 30 - April lr>,
Inclusive.
-------
1198
Appendix B
9. Fqulpmrnt-use dnys, Of pnrtn thorrof, reportc
Alrplano ^7"
Boat nod '.a
Johf 13. Mojfic'. Supervisor
Section of Reaonrc'a f- Planning
Division of Game and Fish
-------
-16-
MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION
DIVISION OF GAME AND FISH
Section of Research and Planning
Game Research Unit
1199
Appendix C
Summary of Dead Birds Examined and X-Rayed Following Oil
Pollution Die-off on the Mississippi River
ANATINAE
Amount of oil on birds
Species
Mallard
Mallard
Black Duck
Green-Winged Teal
Blue-Winged Teal
Bald pate
Shoveller
Shoveller
Wood Duck
Wood Duck
Sex
Male
Female
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Female
Male
Female
1
3
2
1
1
1
2
1
1
12
IL
o rt
T O
ArTHYINAE
Species
Redhead
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Ring-necked Duck
Canvasback
Qanvasback
Greater Scaup
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Lesser Scaup
American Golden-eye
American Golden-eye
Bufflehead
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
Ruddy Duck
Sex
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Ring-necked or Scaup
1
1
5
248
143
1
1
9
5
861
308
35
27
8
11
3
6
1,672
2
2 3 4 5a
1
2
L 2
1 5
& ERISMATURINAE
2 3 4 5a
1
83 21
4 8
2
1
2
28 5 213
10 1 85
1 2
1
7
1
1
51 10 344
5b 5c
1
3
1
5
5b 5c
1
8
4
1
1
176 19
87 7
1
3
1
283 26
Total
4
2
1
1
2
2
1
1
17
18
49
Total
2
6
288
159
3
2
12
6
1,302
498
39
31
16
12
3
7
2,386
2
1,674 51 10 344 283
*/ - 1. Feathers completely matted
2. Feathers 51 - 99# matted
3. Feathers 25 - 50# matted
4^ Feathers 5 - 25# matted
5. Washed bird.
a. Over 50# of feathers still matted
b. 5 - 5C$ of feathers still matted
c. Less than 5% of feathers still matted
26
2,388
-------
1200
-17- Appendix C
Merginae, Coot, Grebes and Miscellaneous Species
Species
Sex
5a 5b 5c
Total
Hooded Merganser Male
Hooded Merganser Female
American Merganser Male
American Merganser Female
Redbreasted Merganser Male
Redbreasted Merganser Female
Coot
Eared Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe
Cormorant (tagged) -
Ring-billed Gull (tagged) -
Herring Gull
Yellowlegs (tagged) -
Great Blue Heron -
+ Muskrats
7 Pigeons, 3 Blackbirds and 1
2 1
2
7 1
1
17
L 1 1
33 1 12
141 7 2 51 20 4
1
24 1 791
24 1 7 10 1
Miscellaneous
1
1
2
1
1
crow discarded
3
2
8
1
17
6
37
225
1
42
43
1
1
2
1
1
Anatinae
Aythyinae
Merginae
Coot
Grebes
Miscellaneous
— Banded
Grand Totals
38
1,674
33
141
24
3
1
51
1
7
1
10
2
5
344
1
51
7
5
283
2
20
10
26
4
1
49
2,388
37
225
43
3
1,913 61 12 408 320 31
2,745
-------
1201
Appendix D
MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION
DIVISION OF GAME AND FISH
SECTION OF RESEARCH AND PLANNING
Bottom Fauna Data
Mississippi River, Lock and Dam Mo. .1 to below Lakr Pepin
'"•oc.'itlon of Stations
Station 1 - Located In the ehnnnel south of Island >>. r>~
(Diamond Island) at approxluately mile V*0'
and approximately <>]• rniJes upstream from
Wing, Minnesota.
I/
River rallos, island numbers and names of backwater
areas are taken from Charts No. $0, 5! and 52 of
Navigation Charta, Middle and Upper Mississippi
Cairo, Illinois to Minneapolis, Minnesota, Corps
of Engineers, U. S. Army, January, 1956.
i
-------
1202
Appendix D
Station r? - Located in a back channel at the outlet of
Lower Lako at approximately mile. 7Ry 3/4
approximately O.G rnilr north of the main
channel; approximately '; niloo b<~>lovj Fed V
Station 3 - I*oc:-it<-- - Located in Lalc^ Pepln off Minnesota fllghv;aj/
Depar-t\-lent nnjvia^^e Park appvoximntely ,-t
vyf.
Station 6 - Located in a hay (Steamboat Day) approximately ;
t
O.ri mil'- north of the main channel at approxi-
mately mile 76^ 1/H immediately below Lake
!n.
-------
-19-
Appendix D
1203
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-------
1203
MR. SMITH: Are there any other State Departments
represented here that would like to make a statement?
(No response. )
MR. SMITH: If not, we will go to other official ',
agencies. !
I
The first one we would like to ^all on would be !
i
the Twin ""ity Metropolitan Planning Commission. They have
i
indicated that a statement would be made.
DR. HARGRAVES: Have you a copy of It? :
MR. SMITH: I don't recall having received a
copy of the statement, They were here yesterday.
MR. WILSON: Mr. Edmund, the former chairman,
was here this morning. Of course, I don't think he
represents them now,
MR. SMITH: The next would be the Lower Minnesota
Watershed District.
Is Mr. Westerberg present?
(No response. )
MR. SMITH: I have one copy of material which
was left. This is the statement of Kenneth W. Westerberg,
Secretary, Lower Minnesota River Watershed District, Savage, i
Minnesota. !
!
DR. HARGRAVES: How many pages is it? J
i
MR. SMITH: Two pages.
DR. HARGRAVES: I will read it;
-------
1204
K. W. Weaterberg
STATEMENT OF KENNETH W. WESTERBERQ,
SECRETARY, LOWER MINNESOTA RIVER WATER-
SHED DISTRICT, SAVAGE, MINNESOTA,
PRESENTED BY DR. MARGRAVES
F>R. MARGRAVES: "Gentlemen:
"My name is Kenneth vtf. Westerberg. I am the
Secretary of the Lower ~Aj nnesota River Watershed
^•.strict, a political subdivision organized and
existing under the laws of the State of Minnesota.
Watershed districts '.reated pursuant to Minnesota
law are special use districts empowered to manage
and regulate water use within the':r boundaries.
The Lower Minnesota River Watershed District in-
cludes the lands abutting on the Minnesota River
from Its junction with the Mississippi River to a
point upstream Just above the City of Chaska,
Minnesota. The District includes parts of the
ountles of Ramsey, Scott, Dakota, Hennepin and
Carver Counties. Watershed districts may be
established for any or all of the following con-
servation purposes;
"1. Control or alleviation of damage by flood
-------
1205
K. W. Weaterberg
"waters,-
"2. Improvement of stream channels for
drainage, navigation, and : ;<_> other puolic purpose;
"3. Reclaiming or filling wet and overflowed
lands;
"4. Providing water supply for irrigation;
"5. Regulating the flow of streams and
conserving the waters thereof;
''6. Diverting or changing watercourses in
whole or jn part;
"•'. Providing for sanitation and puollu health
and regulating the use of streams, ditches, or
watercourses for the purpose of disposing of waste;
"9. Repair, improve, relocate, modify, con-
solidate, and abandon, in whole or in part, drainage
systems within a watershed district.
"10. Imposition of preventive or remedial
measures for the control or alleviation of land and
soil erosion and siltation of watercourses or bodies
of water affected thereby;
''11. Regulating improvements by riparian
landowners of the beds, banks, and shores of lakes,
streams, and marshes by permit or otherwise in order
to preserve the same for beneficial use."
-------
1206 !
K. W. Westerberg
I don't know that anybody argues with the soil
conservation program. I don't know whether this needs to
be completed or not. If it ouuld be accepted?
MR. STEIN: We wen;3d be delighted to accept It,
wit hoi'*" on,iection.
DR. HAFGE/\VL£: Wi.at about Wisconsin?
MR. WISNItfWSKJ : fill ,"ight .
MR. 3TE3N; As i I1 "sad .
DR. HARGRAVEE: : mij'ht say It looks as though ;
t
t ~ct.s -,'n find :r,,3 >usaes the.', r powers, and says the water-
ore-" .listri 't i :> 'nv-7'yirig out the purposes fcr whi-'? it wna
established. I will nt least save ny voice a bit.
(The rest of the prepared statement of Mr.
Westerberg !•-, ?.3 follows ;
£ pr'ns^iical pu'.'pose of the Lower Minnesota !
Rive" Watershed Dif.trlot Involves improvement of the river
hanne] for- nav: ;;nt j oii ourposea. The Board of Managers
is presently en?;a^ed in a cooperative project with the
United States Corps of Army Engineers for the dredging and
I
improvement of the Minnesota River Channel from .Its Junction ;
with the Mississippi River to Mile 1^.7, which is Just ,
above the City of Savage, Minnesota. While the principal
project under way involves deepening of the river channel
for navigation purposes, the Board of Managers is concerned
-------
1207
K. w. Weeterberg
with Improving and maintaining water quality which will
j
allow for recreational and other uses in the stream. The |
Board of Managers has the power to make surveys and utilize ;
other surveys and data to develop projects to accomplish
the purposes Tor whJch the District is organized. The
District Is empowered to cooperate and contract with the
3t3~e of wSinnesotft or subdivisions thereof, or Federal
agencies in carrying out orc/ects authorized by the Watershed'
Act.
The 'listr-.-•£ lias recently directed ir.s engineer
-o Inventor?/ w^te;1 resources within the ;;istr ~j ct, particular-
ly the extent to which ground water <-e discharging into
the Minnesota River Volley ano1 f-he extent, if any, of re-
charge of the srounctwater from the surface waters of the
Minnesota R've1". A general inventory of the types of water
users : n the -''.strict will also be made by the engineer.
Within the boundaries of the District are nt?ny public lakes •
that pr-e located . f'f ' .'• -^he main channel of the River which
are desirable habitat presently for various foi^s of wJld-
jlfe. Fluctuations of the water levels of these areas and
methods of protecting the habitat of wildlife species using
these areas will ue studied by the District engineer. j
i
The Watershed District, in carrying out the !
i
purposes for which It was established, is undertaking this i
-------
1208
K. W. Westerberg
inventory of water needs and uses within its area, and
requests that it be kept advised concerning the results of
the survey of pollution of the Mississippi River being
carried out by the United States Public Health Service. )
* # *
MR. SMITH: I would like to call next on the
Metropolitan Mosquito Control District representative.
-------
1209
A. W. Buzlcky
STATEMENT OP A. W. BUZICKY, DIRECTOR,
METROPOLITAN MOSQUITO CONTROL DISTRICT
MR. BUZICKY: I am *. W. BJ.zicky, representing
the Metropolitan Mosquito Control Commission, and 1 am
Director.
The Commission does not have any comments to make
and to insert into the record as of this time.
MR. STEIN: Thank ycxi.
I
MR. SMITH: Next would be the Chairman cf the |
I
Water Pollution Control Advisory Committee, Mr. Tischler. j
-------
1210
J. P. TlBchler
STATEMENT OF JOHN F. T1SCHLER, CHAIRMAN,
j
MINNESOTA WATER POLLUTION CONTROL i
ADVISORY COMMITTEE I
i
i
MR. TISCHLER: Chairman Stein, -onferees: ;
1 am John F. Tlschler, Chairman of the Minnesota 1
Water Pollution Control Advisory Committee. ;
i
Our lS~member committee was appointed '*y the i
Governor under the provisions of Chapter ?0, Minnesota •
Statutes, 1961.
I think I probably have the shortest statement
on record here. We are an advisory committee. No one has
to take our advice. We act as a sort of prod on the
i
Minnesota Water Pollution Commission, not because we don't
believe the individual members are sincere, not because we
believe the Commission as a whole is not doing everything
it can do with the facilities it haa on hand, but, rather,
to give them a little someone to pass the buck to.
We put the heat on them; they put the heat on
the Industries and the municipalities, and if they kick
back, they can say, "Well, the Advisory Committee is after
us."
We believe that the Mississippi River from the-
-------
itu
J. P. Tiachler
outlet of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Sewage Plant to Hastings,
Minnesota, is polluted to a point where it endangers fish
and wildlife, and is a menace to health and the recreational
and esthetic values of the river.
We urge that there be but a single standard of
purity for the waters of the Mississippi.
We urge that the same standard of pollution
abatement be insisted uoon for- all parts of the Mississippi
River as are sought in other sections of the State of
Minnesota.
Wo suggest that the Minneapolia-St. Paul
i
Sanitary District disposal plant be so improved and enlarged !
so that it may put into effect much raore efficient treat- ]
ment facilities, which will meet the future needs for the
protection of health, recreation and industrial growth of
!
the area. 1
i
I
Mr. Chairman, I am also Secretary of the j
I
Minnesota Conservation Federation, an affiliate of the !
i
National Wildlife Federation, and we were invited here to <
i
i
make a statement as well. j
MR. STEIN: That would be fine.
MR. TISCHLER: The Minnesota Conservation
Federation, an affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation,
is made up of 160 sportsmen's and conservation clubs
-------
1212
J. P. Tischler j
i
1
throughout the State, with a membership In excess of 25,000. j
i
We took a leading part in securing passage of j
the Hunger Water Pollution Act in 1961, and the Rosenmeier :
Pollution Bill in 1963, as well as the Ashbach Bill. ;
We are aware of the heavy pollutlonal load in
the Mississippi River between the Minneapolis-St. Paul :
sewage treatment plant and Hastings, and we urge the up-
.Tjradints of that sewage treatment plant to maintain standards
i
as high as those 'r other parts of the State. j
ThcM'C is one thing which hasn't been touched !
•ipon in this conference, which is talked about throughout
the £tate, and that is making draw-downs of the headwater
lakes of the Mississippi River System to act as a dilutant
for the pollution load in the Mississippi, and also to •
f
provide water for Industrial pooling purposes in the Twin ;
City srea. '
The Minnesota Conservation Federation is opposed
tc any draw-downs of those headwater lakes. '
i
i
Thank you.
i
MR. STEIN: Thank you, sir.
I
I might point out here that the Congress has j
spoken on that, and the Federal law is specific on that. j
I think Colonel Harding, when he was here, may
have mentioned that. In the Federal Water Pollution Control
-------
1213
J. P. Tischler
Act Amendments of 1Q61, it was provided that storage
capacity could be made available in Federal Impoundments or
reservoirs for water pollution control purposes.
However, this could not -- and, I repeat> could
not -- and cannot be used as a substitute for adequate
treatment at the source.
In the administration of ~hat Act, it has oeen
decided that this, at i^aot, means secondary treatment at
the source. Sc .- water will oe made available from Uncle
Sam, I don't think, until this is done.
There are certain situations, though, and this
is why the Act was passed, where even providing tr;e beet
reasonable treatment, there may oe periods where dilution
water is necessary, because In some streams where you get
something drying up or a very low spot and the stream dries
up and gets various puddles or pools, you may wi ? out the
aquatic life, and even if the water comes back it will take
you another year before you can get that back to normal
again. Sometimes it will take longer.
Sometimes this cycle repeats itself over and
over again, so you always have a depleted stream.
If, during these low streams, you can maintain
a reasonable minimum condition so that when more water come*
in the ecology of the stream won't be too badly disrupted,
-------
J. P. Tischler
we may have achieved something.
MR. TISCHLER: Our position was that we were
opposed to draw-downs in lieu of proper treatment facilities.
MR. STEIN: Thank you.
MR. WILSON: Mr. Chairman, might I ask Mr.
Tischler to stay just a minute, because I want to ask him a
question or two0
MR. STEIN: Surely.
MR. WILSON: But before I do that, I would like
to comment on this particular point of the Mississippi
River draw-downs, which have long been a subject of contro-
versy in this State.
At the hearings that were held by the Commission
in the summer of 1962, on the adoption of the Mississippi
River standards that Dr. Hargraves told about, the Corps of
Engineers presented a statement.
Colonel Harding and two of his engineers are
here present, and if they have anything to add to what I am
about to aay, I think that it would be appropriate to hear
them at this tJtne.
Those big reservoirs at the headwaters of the
Mississippi were created by Act of Congress many years ago
in aid of navigation, so that in the days before the 9-foot
channel dam was constructed, water could be let down to
raise the water level for navigation and watering purposes
-------
1215 ;
J. P. Tlachler
at and below the Twin Cltiea.
;
In those days, the principal navigation waa
the towing of logs and lumber, and before that, of course,
there had been some passenger traffic; but the need for that
use of the river was very largely dimin;shed when the 9-foot
channel dam system was constructed.
Since then, under Acts of Congress, the Secretary
of Defense — I believe it used to be the War Department —
has a certain measure of discretion to use that water for
other public purposes, but the Corps of Engineers, represent-
ing the Secretary, has recognized that there is a very
marked controversy between conflicting interests in
Minnesota, namely, the interests that are represented by
the conservation organizations that Mr. Tischler is spokes- |
man for, and all the resort jvoups end property owners
living around those big lakes, and the downstream people
around the Twin Cities who want more of that water for water >
supply, sewage dilution, and what not.
Now, as I recall the position of the Corps of
Engineers, it was that they were not going to attempt to
make any decision between those conflicting Interests in
Minnesota, and that probably the ultimate decision as to |
i
which of those Interests should be recognized In the use j
i
of this water would be up to the Minnesota Legislature. i
-------
1216
J. P. Tiachler
That is still an open question.
Now, if Colonel Harding cr any of hia assistant*
would like to make * comment on that, 1 suggest that they
be given an opportunity to.
However, i just want to add, before we keep Mr.
Tischler standing there any more — I just want to ask him
this :
Calling his attention to the fact that the
Commission for some time past, in view of the fact that the
terms of the original members of your Advisory Committee
had expired, WPS trying to have vacancies filled and trying
to have your Advisory Committee have an official meeting.
I just wanted to ask you if that has been done yet. lias
the Governor filled the vacancies, or have you had an
official meeting lately, or what?
By what group was this statement that you
presented here this morning, framed?
MR. TISCHLER: We had an official meeting laat
Friday. The terms have not been filled, the expired t«nns,
and I might add we sought the legislative appropriation to
cover expenses of our group in the last session, and we
didn't get that either.
MR. WILSON: The money has been provided lately,
though, haa It not?
-------
J. F. Tischler
MR. TISCHLER: Not as far aa I know. Meeting
expense is provided by your Commission out of your contingent
fund.
MR. WILSON: Then, as we understood it, this
statement that you have presented is the consensus of th«
original Committee?
MR. TISCHLER: At a meeting held last Friday,
yes.
MR. WILSON: Thank you.
MR. STEIN: Do you have any questions?
MR. WISNIEWSKI: Mr. Tischler, are all the head-
i
water lakes that you referred to In your statement the same !
bodies of water that Mr. Wilson has referred to as regulating
reservoirs on this river?
MR. TISCHLER: Yes.
MR. WISNIEWSKI: Thank you.
MR. TISCHLER: There is one — I hate to run on
like this. There has been one factor in regard to these
headwater lakes. When these dams were established, and
so on, we had a large number of potholes and marshes and
sloughs, small lakes along the course of the river which,
through the year, acted as feeders to the volume of wat«r
going down the Mississippi.
Many of those lakes — many of them were
-------
1218
J, F, Tischler
Government subsidy — have since been drained. Our reser-
voirs are lost, so now we are depending practically upon
the headwaters to provide a flow of water to the river.
MR. STEIN: Thank you, sir.
DR. HARGRAVES: I would like to make one further
comment, and then we will call on the next person.
The State of Minnesota Water Pollution Control
Com&dssion adopted a definite statement of policy on
December 21, 1962, and it is referred to in the back of my
statement this morning. It wasn't read. It relates to
the fact that the Commission believes that flow augmentation 1
should not be used at any time as a substitute for opera-
tion of aewage or industrial waste treatment works at ;
maximum capacity, or for any other method of controlling !
waste at the source, and so on; so we are on record, and this
is referred to in our report.
MR. STEIN: Thank you.
Colonel Harding, do you want to add anything or
not?
COLONEL HARDING: I would like to make one brief
comaent.
I did mention during my presentation yesterday
that we are conducting a study on the operation of the head-
water reservoirs. Thl* was partially initiated as a result
-------
1219
J. F. Tlschler
of certain resolutions passed by the Minnesota State Legis-
lature a few years ago, indicating that they felt the States
should have a greater role in the operation of these
reservoirs than they have at present.
As a result, we have beer working on this study
for two or three years. It is scheduled to be completed j
during the first fiscal year of 1965, One of the objectives j
of the study is to determine whether the mode of operation !
:
of the reservoirs, as presently prescribed by the Secretary !
of the Army, is to be changed. j
In working up this study, we have taken the
operating data under our operations plan, and we have ta^en
the State's suggested operations plan. We have fed this
in the machine down in Omaha, and we, at the present time,
have received these results and are in the process of
analyzing them.
However, as has been pointed out, we have many
onflicting interests. We have the people up in the lakes
who want the water to remain level. We have the people
in the Twin Cities area who recognize that they are going
to have increased water supply requirements. We have our
pollution control requirements which have been emphasized
in this meeting, so that to come up with an answer that
Is going to satisfy all these divergent interests, I think
-------
1220
J. P. Tiiohler
It la apparent to everybody, !• most difficult, Ins" v« are
working on it.
MR. STEIN: Thank you, Colonel.
Thank you, Mr. Tlaohler.
Mr. Smith?
MR. SMITH: The next group Me have are the
municipal or community sewage sources, and we start with
the upper end of the Mississippi River under consideration
by this conference, and the first municipality would be
Anoka.
Is there anyone here representing Anoka?
If not, I would like Mr. Thlmaen to read a
paragraph into the record describing the treatment facilities
which are In operation.
-------
1221
D. J. Thlmsen
STATEMENT OF DONALD J. THIMSEN, MINNESOTA
DEPARTMENT OP HEALTH, SECTION ON WATER
POLLUTION
MR. THIMSEN: The Anoka sewage treatment plant !
i
was constructed in 1956 and is a secondary plant consisting j
1
of a grit chamber, primary settling tank, high rate I
trickling filters, final settling tanks, chlorinatlon contact!
tank, and separate sludge digestion tanks. The sewage j
treatment plant is designed to treat sewage and waste flowing;
at the rate of 1.M4 mgd with a 5-day BOD of 300 rcg/1 to i
produce an effluent BOD of approximately 75 mg/1. >
j
DR. HARGRAVES: I might say for the sake of the |
group and for the recorder, that you have all of these,
and Mr. Thimaen can show you where he is reading fromj but
we are going to call on him for many of these, so that we
are on record as to what our communities are doing.
MR. SMITH: The next one in order would be the
North Suburban Sanitary Sewer District, and they have a
statement to make.
MR. TAUTGES: We have a paper and we also have
a statement in addition, which we would like to put into the
record as if it were read in.
-------
1222
T. Tautgas
MR. STEIN: Without objection, that will be done.
STATEMENT OF TOM TAUTGES, VICE-CHAIRMAN
OP THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE NORTH
SUBURBAN SANITARY SEWER DISTRICT
MR. TAUTGES: My name la Tom Tautgee and I am a
member of the Spring Lake Park Village Council. I am also
Vice-Chalrman of the Board of Trustees of the North Suburban
Sanitary Sewer District, a district comprising some 50,000
acres of land and representing 71,000 residents.
I have been instructed by the Board to submit a
position paper. Accordingly, i will keep my remarks brief
and,to sura up the position of the Board of Trustees, I
welcome our out-of-State conferees and the representatives
of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
We welcome especially the opportunities for
fresh and uncommitted points of view.
More than anything else we ask for objectivity
because we know the conferees appointed by the Minnesota
Water Pollution Control Commission are committed in advance
to the proposition that all of the sewage in the metro-
politan area be collected and transported at great expense
-------
1223
T. Tautges
to a single treatment plant, thereby abandoning the
Hastings Pool for purposes other than sewage disposal and
resulting in an unacceptable level of downstream pollution.
In a report of the staff of the Minneapolis-St.
Paul Sanitary Distr.; ot, whi.-.h !s a major source of pollu-
tion l!i this ares, they set forth the following goals:
1. !'"retention of water supplies and reduc-
tion of health hazards to a minimum.
?. j;. 13mi nation of nuisance conditions resulting
frotn Inadequate sewage disposal.
^. Restoration and preservation, to the greatest
extent practicable, of the recreational use of water-
courses ."
We support these objectives. However, during the
past two years the Minnesota Water Pollution Control Commis-
sion has missed a golden opportunity to achieve these
goals. They miboed it by setting their sights too low wnen
they established standards for the Hastings Pool. Under
these standards, no fish propagation can take place in the
Hastings Pool and recreational activities in that portion of
the river are generally discouraged. The Hastings Pool
represents Zone 3 in the classification and standards
adopted by the Commission.
As we understand the purpose of this conference,
-------
1224
T. Tautgea
it is to Improve river water conditions from those we now
have and from those we can foresee on the baaia of these
recently adopted standards.
Severn 1 factors enter into the consideration of
the water oollut'on control program for any metropolitan
aren, in] "• b one 'ins its own peculiar conditions.
First of all, the Mississippi River and its
tributaries within this metropolitan area represent the
wate1" .-curses r--p'1?>Me for assimilating liquid wastes from
this aver. Tl'c u.otal flow of water available for this
our peso can oe smnll because of our location near- the
headwaters of these rivers. For this ^eason any jonsidera-
tion of the pollution problem in the Hastings Pool and the
waters downstream must take into account upriver sewage
disposal practJ-.-es that would affect ooth the volume of
wastes discharged to the Hastings Pool and the quality of
the rl ver water entering the pool.
Since tnere is a limited amount of water flowing
through this metropolitan area, we must use it wisely. It
la common practice in other metropolitan areas to divide
the sewage flew so as to Introduce treated effluent at
various points in the water course. In this manner they
take advantage of the maximum assimilative capacity of the
waters.
-------
T. Tautges
This logical use Is exactly the position of the
North Suburban Sanitary Sewer District. Scientific studies
have proven it is impossible to maintain what have been
considered adequate river conditions during low river flows
by discharging all of the treated waste effluent into the
same zone of the Mississippi River, if conventional methods
of sewage disposal are to be employed.
We are nevertheless convinced that the volume and
flow of the rivers is adequate to properly assimilate the
treated wastes from the greater metropolitan area, if our
State Water Pollution Control Commission would insist upon
uniformly high degrees of sewage treatment and if the
treated wastes are divided and enter the rivers at various
points. This accomplishes the purpose of reducing the
enormous volume of waste projected to be introduced only to
i
i
the Hastings Pool when it is known that the pool la unable j
to assimilate such a pollutional load.
The present policy of the Minnesota Water Pollu-
tion Control Commission provides for concentration of the
entire pollutional load into one portion of the Mississippi
River. This imposes unacceptable water condition on our
neighbors downstream both in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
We plead with the Public Health Service and
their scientists to give us the background and data fro«
-------
1226
T. Tautges
which acceptable water quality standards can be developed.
This will permit planning for sewage works construction
that will result in safe, rational, and economical sewage
disposal for our district and for any other region of this
greater metropolitan area.
* * *
STATEMENT OP THE NORTH SUBURBAN SANITARY
SEWER DISTRICT TO BE PRESENTED AT THE
CONFERENCE ON WATER POLLUTION CONTROL
PRESENT STANDARDS
In a staff report to the Board of Trustees of the
Mlnneapolis-St. Paul Sanitary District dated January 22,
1962, the staff of that District stated that:
"The principal objectives which must be
achieved in providing an adequate solution to
the sewage problem In the metropolitan area may
be stated as follows:
1. Protection of water supplies and reduction
of health hazards to a minimum.
2. Elimination of nuisance conditions
resulting from inadequate sewage disposal.
-------
122?
T, Tautgea
3, Restoration and preservation, to the
greatest extent practicable, of the recreational use
of watercourses."
The Board of Trustees of the North Suburban
Sanitary Sewer District supports these objectives. An
analysis of the river standards endorsed by this same staff
and enacted by the State Water Pollution Control Commission,
however, will reveal a question of Intent to limit the
application of these objectives to the waters passing
through but not downstream from the Twin Cities. To such
limited application we object strongly.
In 1962 the State Water Pollution Control
Commission held a series of hearings relative to the adoption
of river standards from the Rum River to the Hastings dam.
Three sets of standards were adopted for three separate
segments or zones of the river. The standards applying to
the three zones differed from zone to zone, primarily from
the standpoint of dissolved oxygen content to be maintained
in the river waterj with a minimum of 4.0 parts per million
dissolved oxygen required in the stretch above St. Anthony
Palls (Zone I) under the same river flow condition which
would have permitted dissolved oxygen depletion in the
stretch Influenced by wastes from the Twin Cities sewage
treatment facilities at Pig's Eye (Zone III). Another eet
-------
1228
T. Tautges
of river flow conditions demanding 5,0 parts per million
dissolved oxygen above St. Anthony Palls (Zone I) required
only approximately 2,0 parts per million dissolved oxygen
downstream from Pig's Eye (Zone III).
The standards further provided that whether or
not the dissolved oxygen standards and other water quality
conditions could be met, no new sewage treatment plant
effluent, regardless of degree of treatment can be dis-
charged to the Mississippi River or its tributaries between
the mouth of the Run River and the Pig's Eye facility
(Zones I and IJ). The standards provide no machinery to
eliminate the more than 60 raw sewage overflows from the
Minneapolis and St. Paul sewer system in that same stretch
of river. Nor does adequate machinery now exist In the
Minnesota Department of Health to police the utilization of
the Minneapolis and St. Paul sewer systems to prevent an
increase of raw sewage discharge from those overflow points
as a result of continual over-utilization and overselling
of nonexisting "excess capacity" in those sewer systems.
These standards were adopted by the State Water
Pollution Control Commission in 1963. It is the position
of the Board of Trustees of the North Suburban Sanitary
Sewer District that the standards now in effect impose
unreasonable restrictions upon the use of the Mississippi
-------
T. Tautges
River passing through the Twin Cities while neglecting
an opportunity to upgrade river conditions below the Pig's
Eye plant. The standards applicable to the portion of the
river downstream from the Pig's Eye plant are no higher and
in the cases of at least two provisions they are lower than
the standards in effect, but not legally adopted prior to
1963.
It is the position of this Board that the river
standards should be high throughout the area. The fact
that the Pig's Eye plant is within and not downstream from
the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area is a fundamental factor
in support of uniform standards throughout most of the
stretch of the river in question.
In order to fully examine the implications of the
standards in question, it is necessary to examine first the
river characteristics and the existing or committed uses
of the river. Secondly, it is necessary to examine the
effects of river quality standards upon the costs of con-
struction and operation of sewerage facilities.
RIVER CHARACTERISTICS AND RIVER WATER USES
Zone I of the Mississippi River, as described in
the standards adopted in 1963* extends from the mouth of
-------
1230
T. Tautges
the Rum River to St. Anthony Palls. Although the water
stored behind the St. Anthony Palls dam would submerge the
inlet gallery of the Minneapolis water treatment plant at
any flow condition in the river, hydraulic engineering
studies show that confinement of the river within a narrow
channel and the curvature of the alignment of the river
prevent recirculation of the water within the portion of the
river influenced by that dam.
The Minneapolis water Intake is the only water
intake of concern from the standpoint of the discharge of
effluent from proposed sewage treatment facilities into
waters of this zone.
The areas bordering the river upstream are within
the boundaries of incorporated municipalities outside the
corporate boundaries of Minneapolis. These areas are
primarily residential in nature. The area bordering the j
j
river directly across the river from the Minneapolis water
intake and the areas on both sides of the river between
the water intake and the south boundary of Zone I are
industrial in nature.
Prior to the adoption of the standards, the
Federal Government had, in fact, expended approximately
$35*000,000 to construct locks through the St. Anthony Falls
structures and to develop a navigation channel for Industrial
-------
1231
T. Tautges
barge traffic to serve river front Industrial sites within
Zone I up to a point approximately one mile downstream
from the Minneapolis water intake.
All of Zone I has been classified for public
water supply purposes. The area upstream from the
Minneapolis water intake is committed to development which
is compatible with such classification. However, the
portion of Zone I lying within the confines of the afore-
described Upper Harbor Navigation Improvement Project is
committed by present usage and by expenditure of public funds
to development which is not compatible with such classi-
fication.
To this extent it is the conviction of this
Board that the State Water Pollution Control Commission has
Improperly classified the portion of Zone I downstream from
the Minneapolis water intake, and specifically that portion
located within the Upper Harbor Improvement, and that the
standards associated with that classification are not
consistent with the proper classification of those waters.
An examination of the standards themselves as
they apply to Zone I will show further inconsistencies.
Section 3 (g) provides that "The discharge of
treated sewage effluent, industrial waste, or other wastes
•hall be restricted so that at any water supply Intake the
-------
T. Tautgea
maximum limits for chemicals in the waters shall be such
that after Class IV treatment has been provided as specified
in Section 2 (Public Health Bulletin No. 296), the con-
centrations recommended in the U. S. Public Health Service
Drinking Water Standards, 1962, will not be exceeded in the
drinking water. "
i
This is an entirely realistic water quality stand-j
ard which would appear to reflect the proper nature of
water quality standards when viewed with the knowledge of
the resources immediately available to this specific
standard-setting agency. :
Conflicting with that provision, however, ia ,
Section 3(b)> which provides that "no treated sewage effluent:
i
shall be discharged into the waters from any source
originating after the taking effect hereof, including,
without limitation, discharges from watercraft."
Section 3(b) is not a water quality standard
at all, but is a river use prohibition. This provision is
an engineering decision without the benefit of hydraulic
engineering study. The effect of this arbitrary decision
is that regardless of any other factors which would ordinariljy
apply to such a situation, the provisions set forth in the
remainder of Section 3 cannot be met if treated sewage
effluent is discharged to any portion of Zone I. The test
-------
1233
T. Tautges
as to whether or not any constituent of that effluent can
reach a water supply Intake in concentrations exceeding the
limits act forth in Section 3 (g) is* by that so-called
"standard/1 entirely foreclosed; yet this is the test to
which any proposal for discharging sewage effluent to those
waters should be subjected,
A further inconsistency in the entire set of
standards is the variation in dissolved oxygen levels to
be maintained in the various zones of the river under speclfl
r ve flow conditions. The 5.0 part-oer-million dissolved
oxygen content established for Zone I cannot be Justified
from the standpoint of the classification assigned to that
rone. At the same time, the dissolved oxygen levels assigned)
t
i
to the Zone III standards are not appreciably higher than j
!
those which have been in effect on a somewhat Informal basis !
for approximately thirty years. These low dissolved oxygen
levels which will actually permit oxygen depletion under low
instantaneous flow conditions amount to abandonment of that
zone for many recognized river uses.
In view of the extensive open water areas of
Zone III that are readily accessible for recreational
purposes as compared to the relatively confined and
Inaccessible water areas in both Zones I and II, the standards
now applicable throughout the classified section of the river
-------
1234
T. Tautges
are inconsistent with the beet recreational utilization of
the river.
ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS
Finally, in consideration of the purposes of
river classification and standards is the question of the
impact of economic factors of sewage treatment and disposal.
In I960 the Minneapolls-St. Paul Sanitary
District published a report covering a five-year study of
the expansion of sewage works in the Minneapolis-St. Paul
Metropolitan Area. Among the proposed solutions to the
sewage problem, the report described regional sewage
treatment facilities as providing a satisfactory and
reasonable solution to the problem. The report suggested
further that the disadvantages to such regional facilities
involved emotional objections to plant sites.
Engineering studies conducted by the North
Suburban Sanitary Sewer District show significant cost
savings associated with a regional sewage treatment plant
for this District. Those studies show that such a regional
facility can produce an effluent of satisfactory quality
to conform to all of the scientific and technical provisions
of the present standards, except the provision that prohibits
-------
1235
T. Tautges
such a facility.
Of the several engineering plans offered in the
report, the staff of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Sanitary
District and the Executive Officer of the Minnesota
Department of Health promoted the plant which involved the
discharge of all of the treated sewage effluent from this
i
metropolitan area into what later became designated as Tone j
I
III of the Mississippi River. !
Two factors were utilized in an unsuccessful '
attempt to support this plan from the standpoint of overall
economics. One factor involved the anticipation of a set
of river standards that would permit B relatively low level
of sewage treatment in sewage treatment plants discharging
to £one III and at the same time would require a very high
level of treatment at upstream plants and thus reflect an
economic imbalance in favor of centralization of treatment.
Although such river standards did, in fact,
evolve from the State Water Pollution Control Commission,
the testimony presented during the hearings of those
proposed standards left little question that such differen-
tial standards would still result in an economic imbalance
in favor of a regional sewage treatment facility upriver.
The incorporation of the provision prohibiting the dis-
charge of treated sewage effluent into Zone I shows clearly
-------
1236
T. Tautges
that a preferred engineering solution, rather than the need
for maintenance of satisfactory river water quality and
economic considerations, motivated the State Water Pollution
Control Commission In the establishment of these so-called
"standards."
The other factor involved design on the basis of
population projections and land-use data that were collected
before local planning had progressed sufficiently to make
such data reasonably valid. Again those data were unsuccess-
fully utilized to Influence an economic imbalance in favor
of centralization of treatment. The population projections
made prior to I960 were undermined by the I960 Census data.
The land-use projections have been invalidated to a very
significant degree by local development which has taken
place since the collection of the data utilized in the study
In this case the data were, without question, collected and
utilized In good faith by the persons who prepared the
report. The promoters of centralized treatment, however,
continued to treat cost comparisons based upon these data
as if their validity could not be questioned.
Also missing froro the report covering the five-
year study Is the reflection of the advances made in sewage
treatment technology in the past nine years, as those
advances would affect construction and operation costs of
-------
1237
T. Tautges
new sewage treatment facilities. Thorough consideration
of this, in addition to the two above factors, will show
overwhelming economic advantages In favor of the approach
involving regional sewage treatment facilities.
It follows then that the so-called "standards,"
which are intended to be river water quality standards, have !
been developed to dictate a specific engineering plan for
sewage disposal for this metropolitan area. This was done
even though the foundation for that plan has been severely
undermined by development of the area since the original
design criteria were collected and presented.
At this time there is no valid support for past
statements by the staff of the Minneapolis-St. Paul
Sanitary District or the City of Minneapolis, with reference
to the comparison of costs between sewerage systems involving
regional, as opposed to central(Pig's Eye), treatment
facilities. The only study which has been used by those
persons in the past for such a comparison has been
Invalidated by development of the area and by improvements
in sewage treatment technology and the costs-of-treatment
estimates were based upon anticipated river water quality
standards, which, though now a reality, are being tested
in the courts by this District and are sufficiently contro-
versial to be a subject of this conference.
-------
1238
T. Tautges
When the promoters of sewage treatment centralize
tion finally concluded that such centralization could not
be supported by objective and thorough economic study, they j
i
i
were successful in prevailing upon the Minnesota State j
Water Pollution Control Commission to use the river standards
to prohibit any other approach.
SUMMARY
The Board does not object to standards which
will insure a high level of purity for waters that can enter
the intake structures of water treatment facilities.
The portion of Zone I upstream from the head
of the Upper Harbor navigation improvement is properly
classified for those purposes, although the significance of
a 5.0 part-per-million minimum dissolved oxygen level for
waters so classified is not entirely clear. The projects
of the North Suburban Sanitary Sewer District are designed
to preserve the conditions which permit this classification.
The waters in all zones downstream from the head
of the navigation Improvement, however, are committed to
similar uses, and these waters should all be included in
the same classification. Standards applicable to those
waters should be uniform.
-------
1239
T. Tautges
The level at which those standards are estab-
lished should depend to a considerable extent upon the level
of water quality the Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, as
represented by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Sanitary Distri't,
can be encouraged to maintain in the Mississippi River
through those downstream metropolitan area communities
.ontiguous to the Hastings Pool,
Until the political leaders of Minneapolis and
St. Paul are convinced that they have no right to expect
river conditions within their cities which differ in any
way from the coi-di tions they are willing to produce in the
river passing through their downstream neighboring metro-
politan area communities, the metropolitan sewage problem
will remain a controversy.
The Pig's £ye Sewage Treatment Plant is within
the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, and the property border-
Ing the portion of the Mississippi River that is influenced
most by the effluent from that plant is also within this
metropolitan area.
The concentration of the sewage load from the
entire metropolitan area In the Hastings Pool serves no
other purpose than to condemn the waters of that pool to a
pollution load that those waters cannot adequately
assimilate. The distribution of that pollutional load to
-------
T. Vautges
take advantage of the assimilative capacity of the river
within the metropolitan area, which is now either unused o,
used to assimilate raw sewage discharges, will permit
uniformly better river conditions throughout the metro-
politan area, provided that a high degree of treatment Is
required at all sewage treatment facilities and nrovided
that steps are taken to eliminate the raw sewage discharges
If river water quality standards and treated
sewage effluent standards are established to reflect a
desired river water quality, rather than a desired engineer-
ing plan, water pollution control agencies will have ful-
filled their responsibility and the basis for a solution
to this sewage problem will then be available.
Thank you.
MR. STEIN: Are there any comments or questions
from Wisconsin?
(No response.)
MR. STEIN: Minnesota?
MR. WILSON: Mr. Chairman, I do not think that
this is an appropriate time to take the time of this
gathering with any arguments about the merits or demerits
of the proposals in this statement.
I simply wish to call attention to the present
legal situation in that behalf.
The North Suburban Sanitary Sewer District first
-------
1241
T. Tautg®a
contested the authority of the Commission in a court
proceeding, claiming that they were exempt, to a very large
degree, by virtue of the terms of their enabling Act from
the authority of the Water Pollution Control Commission.
That point was decided against them by the
District Court of Ramsey County, and that decision has become
final, so that it is now authoritatively determined that the
North Suburban Sanitary Sewer District, like all other units
of government that have anything to do with pollution
Control or sewage disposal, is now subject to the authority
of the Commission.
There is also pending an appeal to the District
Court of Anoka County, taken by the North Suburban Sanitary
Sewer District, from the standards applicable to them whi,-h
have Just been described. That appeal haa not yet been
brought on for hearing.
I might say that in the course of the hearings
that were held in 1962 by the Commission, all these points
that have Just been listed here were reviewed, and evidence
was taken thereon, and is incorporated in the record, which
will be submitted to the court upon this appeal. The final
decision as to the reasonableness of the standards adopted
by the Commission will be made by the District Court, and
may subsequently be subject to review by the State Supreme
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T. Tautgca
Court.
That is the status of that matter at present.
It may be quite some time yet before there will be a final
Judicial decision that will settle those questions.
MR. TMJTGES: Well, I think that this is all
correct, but still the fact remains that we are trying to
improve the conditions of the river, and I think that we
have come up with a good way of improving the conditions
of the river. I think It bears on this conference.
MR. WILSON: On that point, Mr. Chairman, as we
have continually emphasized, every standard adopted by the
Commission is subject to continuous review.
Whenever conditions change, and whenever evidence
is submitted to the Commission that Justifies the raising
of the standards, It is always the policy of the Commission
to set the standards just as high as possible, remembering
that in order to withstand court attack, every standard has
to be based on evidence, and it must be reasonable.
MR. STEIN: Does the North Suburban Sanitary
Sewer District have a treatment plant that you maintain and
operate?
MR. TAUTOES: No, sir, we don't. We presently
have plans.
MR. STEIN: What happens to your waste now?
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1243
T. Tautges
MR. TAUTGES: We use aeptic tanks and drain fields
and we do not have any central collection point for sewage.
MR. WILSON: They have under negotiation, If not
consummated, a contract with the City of Minneapolis for j
i
the disposal of their sewage through the Twin Cities system.
How long that will be effective remains to be seen, but,
at any rate, that is the present proposal for disposal of
the sewage from this district when they get their sewer
system constructed.
MR. STEIN: I think, though, you must admit,
Mr. Wilson -- at least to me this is a rather unique posi-
tion for a polluter or a potential discharger to streams ;
to say that the State regulatory agency's standards are too :
low and requirements are too low. I haven't heard that {
|
very frequently. I must say that. t
i
MR. WILSON: Mr. Chairman, you must bear in mind !
that these standards were established for three successive
zones of the river.
The standard for this upper zone was established
as high as it is because of potential danger to the
Minneapolis City water supply, which comes from the pool
into which the North Suburban Sanitary Sewer District
proposes to discharge the effluent from a proposed sewage
treatment plant that has not been constructed.
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T. Tautgea
MR. TAUTOES: It hasn't been —
MR. STEIN: Let him finish.
MR. WILSON: May I finish?
If this standard is sustained by the courts,
then the North Suburban Sanitary Sewer District will not
be able to go ahead with the construction of its sewage
treatment plant.
Their proposal is that before too many years,
the capacity of their now pending connection which will
undoubtedly be made with the present Twin Cities system
will be exceeded by population growths. They have projected j
i
a population that will run up to 100,000 or more in not i
i
too many years in that area, at which time they contemplate ;
t
that this present arrangement, the capacity of it, will be j
exceeded, and then their proposal would be to construct a
sewage treatment plant.
Now, I think this ought to be pointed out. If
at that time, when this condition occurs or is foreseen
eight or ten or fifteen years from now, whenever it is seen
that the population development of that fait-growing area
is in danger of overtaxing the capacity of this sewer
connection, the question of reviewing that standard can
immediately be brought before the Commission, and the
Commission can then make a decision upon the then existing
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T. Tautgee
conditions. However, presently, this district Is contesting
the standards established by the Commission because it would
preclude them from constructing their sewage treatment plant
i
I
to outlet on the St. Anthony Falls Pool, which would be ;
i
i
cheaper than the works necessary to make a permanent connec- ,
i
tlon with the Twin Cities system. i
Now, no one knows yet what is going to happen ;
i
to that Twin Cities system until this comprehensive plan
required oy the Ashbach Bill is submitted to the Commission •
i
next fall. ;
1
It may be that that will include some proposal ;
for the construction of parallel or enlarged or additional
trunk line sewers that will take care of the increased
sewage flow from this growing area.
No one knows that yet, but, at any rate, as I
pointed out, the question of the reasonableness of these
present standards is now in court, and it will depend upon
the court proceedings.
MR. STEIN: Did you want to say something, sir?
MR. TAUTGES: There is one comment that I will
add: That it is continually brought up that we will be
endangering the Minneapolis water supply system, and 1
think there is no scientific basis that we would be
endangering the Minneapolis supply.
"We would put our effluent down a mile and a
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1246
T. Tsutges
half from the Minneapolis water intake, and, incidentally,
into the area of navigation which has been opened up by
the opening of the new locks constructed at a cost of
$35 million by the Federal Government.
There is no scientific proof that there would be
any recirculation in this so-called pool and that we would
be endangering the Minneapolis water supply. I think it
is purely an emotional thing that has been brought up, and
is continually brought up by these sources.
MR. STEIN: This is just for clarification of
the record.
You said you were proposing to put your effluent
down. I assume you mean downstream from —
MR. TAUTGES: Yes. We were going to build an
outfall line from the ptent.
MR. STEIN: Which will be a mile and a half
below their water intake?
MR. TAUTGES: That is correct.
MR. STEIN: I just wanted to clarify that.
DR. HARGRAVES: And into the pool at St. Anthony.
MR. WILSON: Mr. Chairman, that is on a level
slack-water pool.
I don't want to take the time to argue with the
representative here about the merits of that proposal. All
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124?
T. Tautgea
I have to say is that under the law, the findings of the
Commission on that point are prlma facie reasonable and
valid, and the argument that the gentleman has Just made la
one for the attorneys of that district to make to the
court.
MR. TAUTGES: Well, since you raised it, I Just
wanted to give ray answer to it.
MR. STEIN: Thank you.
MR. TAUTGES: Are there any more questions?
MR. STEIN: Thank you very much. ,
I
MR. TAUTGES: Thank you. ;
i
DR. HARGR/SVES: I think the Commission has !
i
considerable sympathy for this group, and this is also a ;
i
difference in philosophy as to the use of the stream, as
j
to whether we should put effluent into sections that go |
through both cities. We are in hopes of cleaning it up as
we are the Minnesota River, because of parks and other
things that are along there.
Communities do change their opinion as to what
is pollution and what is not, I think, depending upon the
area that is involved.
We did spend all summer last year on this
problem, and probably we now are prejudiced, but I am sure
that we will try to give the North Suburban group the best
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1248
T. Tautges
that we can and still consider the rest of the State.
MR. STEIN: Dr. Hargraves, a colloquy like this
is most indicative of a healthy program to clean up pollu-
tion. It is obvious that both parties here want to do what
is best, or what they consider best, in getting clean water.
It is just a question of a difference, and this
is one of the areas.
MR. WIISON: That is very true, Mr. Chairman.
It is entirely probable, and this is one of the reasons
why the Commission is heartily in accord with the effort
being made by the Public Health Service to make this study.
Although a great deal of time was spent by the Commission's
engineers to the extent of the limit of their amall staff
in studying these conditions of the Mississippi River
bearing on this problem, we know that they did not have
the means to do all that the Public Health Service can do.
Although I am only attorney for the Commission,
I am sure that I can speak for them when I say that they
will welcome all the evidence that may be disclosed by the
Public Health Service that bears on this issue, and will
give It very thorough consideration.
MR. STEIN: All right.
Mr. Smith?
MR. SMITH: Next on our list is the City of
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1249
Minneapolis. Is the City Attorney or City Engineer here?
(No response.)
MR. SMITH: I have a printed statement which they
!
left with us. There are ten copies. I
MR. STEIN: Do you want this submitted for the i
I
record as if read? ;
MR. SMITH: For the record, certainly.
*
DR. HARGRAVES: If there is no objection. !
MR. MUEGGE: As if read.
MR. STEIN: As if read.
(The statement presented by the City of Minneapolis
is as follows: I
i
CITY OP MINNEAPOLIS i
Statement for Presentation at Federal and
Interstate Conference on Pollution of
Mississippi River at St. Paul, Minnesota
February 7, 1964
The Minneapolis City Council at its regular
meeting of January 31, 196^, directed "Gordon Bodien and
Arvid Falk" to attend the "Conference on Interstate Pollution
of the Mississippi River, February 7, 196*4, St. Paul," and
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1250
that they be directed to prepare a statement outlining th«
general policy of the City of Minneapolis insofar as this
problem of pollution is concerned with reference to the
Mississippi River as it involves the City.
As the largest city on the Upper Mississippi
River Watershed, the City of Minneapolis has long recognized
and exercised its responsibility in the control and abatement
of water pollution and the protection of the Metropolitan
Area's water resources.
In 1933, as the culmination of an extensive
investigation of the pollution of the Mississippi River, the
City of Minneapolis Joined with the City of Saint Paul as
the major participants in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul i
Sanitary District. The accomplishments of the Sanitary j
i
t
District Include the engineering and construction of a major |
system of interceptor sewers and treatment works which set
the pattern of downstream pollution abatement and waste
treatment practices. Beginning operation in 1938, the
Sanitary District's primary sewage treatment plant has
established an outstanding record of successful and efficient
operation, effecting a significant improvement in the past
downstream river conditions and maintaining reasonable levels
of water quality.
In response to the surge of growth and development
experienced in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Metropolitan Ar««
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125 X
in the early 1950's, the Minneapolis-Ssint Paul Sanitary
District in 1956 embarked upon a coetly and extensive study
of the sewage works requirements of the metropolitan area.
With the preliminary investigation essentially completed in
June 1961, the District authorized a major expansion program
to the existing Pig's Eye Lake Sewage Treatment Plant.
This treatment plant expansion project, which has a total
estimated cost of $23,000,00"), is now under construction.
It includes additional capacity for the growth and develop-
ment of the two Central Cities as well as the contracted
suburban communities which comprise si sewered area nearly
double that of Minneapolis-Saint Paul proper. In addition,
the new exparded treatment plant includes secondary treat-
ment which will accomplish levels of treatment substantially
higher than that presently attained.
Supplementing the program of the Sanitary District
the City of Minneapolis has instituted Independent programs
which have benefited long-range water pollution control
objectives. The City's program of replacing the original corr
bined sewer system with separate storm and sanitary sewers
has substantially reduced overflow of untreated sewage to the
river during times of rainfall and runoff. Over the years,
approximately $1^,000,000 has been expended on this storm
water separation program. An accelerated program has been
scheduled for the future years and these projects are being
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1252
constructed as rapidly as financial resources permit.
The September I960 report of the engineering
consultants to the Sanitary District (Volume Three, page
12-4) shows that of the 27,710 acres of sewered ar« in the
City of Minneapolis, 15,8^7 acres (or over 57#) was served
by separate sanitary and storm sewers. Work completed since
this report was made, together with projects now being built,
will add approximately 2,800 acres served by separate sewers,
increasing to over 6j% the total area having completely
separated sewers. The conversion of substantial areas of
Minneapolis from a combined system to separate sewers for
storm water and sanitary sewerage has made it possible for
Minneapolis to convey through its system of trunk sewers
and interceptors the sanitary sewage from surrounding sub-
urban communities. At the present time there are twenty-
seven suburbs and agencies that use or have made arrangements
to use the Minneapolis aewer system. j
In the spring of 1962 the State of Minnesota,
through its Water Pollut_on Control Commission and State
Board of Health, held formal hearings proposing "classifica-
tion of the Mississippi River and its tributaries between
the Rum River and the St. Croix River and for the establish-
ment of Pollution Standards therefor." The City Council
authorized Introduction of a statement favoring the proposed
classification. Standards proposed for the section between
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1253
the Rum River and St. Anthony Fall* are essential to protect
the water supply of Minneapolis, St. Paul and the P^ bur ban
areas presently being served by the Minneapolis 5'jd Saint
Paul water plants. The standards proposed for the section
between St. Anthony Falls and the Minns apolis-Saint Paul
Sanitary District plant "will when adopted and enforced be
of great benefit to the residents of the Metropolitan Area."
This stand, by the City of Minneapolis, in favor of the
classification and regulation of these two sections of the
Mississippi River was taken with full knowledge and under-
standing of the obligations it was assuming.
In summary, the City of Minneapolis believes that j
*
i
its record of past accomplishments, its policy of continuing!
I
as rapidly as possible its storm sewer program, its coopera-i
!
tion with the State Legislature, the State Board of Health,
and the Water Pollution Control Commission and suburban
communities is a commendable one and Indicates clearly its
determination to improve the quality of the water in the
river.
CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS
/s/ By Gordon E. Bodlen,
City Engineer
/a/ By Arvid M. Fa Ik
Assistant City Attorney)
.. # GPO S78-465
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