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NONPOINT SOURCE SUCCESS STURY
Determination Combined with Strategic Implementation Improves Plum Creek
Waterbody Improved
Plum Creek was listed as impaired for failing the state's aquatic
recreation standards for bacteria contamination in 2012. Restoring
this stream was important because of the recreational uses of the stream and the use of the
Mississippi River as a drinking water resource for downstream municipalities. Through locally led
watershed management, bacteria loading was reduced and now meets water quality standards.
Additionally, recent Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) monitoring data suggests that Plum
Creek serves as quality habitat for sensitive biological species. As a result, MPCA is removing Plum
Creek from its 2020 list of impaired waters for bacteria.
Problem
Plum Creek is a small picturesque stream within the
Upper Mississippi River Basin in central Minnesota,
just west of the town of Clearwater in Stearns County
(Figure 1). The land use is predominantly agricultural.
Many Minnesotans rely on the Mississippi River for
recreational activities. The river also serves as a
drinking water resource for the downstream munici-
palities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Starting in 2008,
the MPCA identified several Mississippi River reaches,
from Royalton to St. Paul,, as impaired for aquatic
recreation due to high bacteria loads (Escherichia coli).
In 2009-2010, MPCA monitored the Mississippi
River - St. Cloud watershed, including the Plum Creek
subwatershed. A 2.5-mile reach (07010203-572)
between Warner Lake and the Mississippi River was
added to the impaired waters list in 2012 for failing the
state's aquatic recreation standards for E. coli bacteria
contamination. This determination was based on the
E. coli bacteria geometric monthly mean data exceed-
ing the state standard of 126 E, coli organisms/per
100 milliliters (mL) monthly geomean (data showed
182 organisms/100 mL in July and 140 organisms/100
mL in August in the combined monitoring years of
2009-2010).
Story Highlights
A Lynden Township supervisor, Jerry Finch, stepped
forward in 2014 to address the problem. He pursued
and earned a watershed specialist certification
through the University of Minnesota (UMN) with
mentoring from the Stearns County Soil and Water
Conservation District (SWCD). Finch used what he
learned to organize about 20 other people who live
near the creek into the Plum Creek Neighborhood
Network (PCNN). They worked closely with the Lynden
Township board, the county SWCD, MPCA, UMN, and
St. John's University.
To determine critical bacteria loading, Intensive
monitoring for E. coli was done in Plum Creek over
several years (2014-2018). The monitoring revealed
that bacteria levels spiked during heavy rain events/
Legend
Plum Creek
^ Warner Lake
Streams
Lakes
Warner Lake County Park
L 1 County
County Road
Figure 1. Plum Creek is in central Minnesota.

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high creek flows, indicating that soil from field ero-
sion and streambed sediments were likely the most
significant sources of bacteria. Waste from leaking
septic systems and wildlife were also possible sources.
Inspections identified several areas near the creek that
were susceptible to erosion.
Based on what the groups learned, the local SWCD ied
several projects to reduce the impact of these poten-
tial sources. These projects included constructing an
erosion control structure to address erosion from a
county road culvert, upgrading or replacing suspect
septic systems, installing a water quality structure to
address field erosion entering the creek, and installing
a buffer on a highway right-of-way near the creek
(Figure 2). Area farmers also adopted best manage-
ment practices (BMPs) such as new tillage and planting
practices to reduce erosion.
Results
The work of the network, state and local partners,
and landowners made the difference. Monitoring
conducted in 2019 by the Stearns County SWCD, with
assistance from volunteer Ted Stevens, showed aver-
age E. coli counts dropped low enough that the Plum
Creek reach is now meeting water quality standards
related to bacteria. As a result, MPCA is removing Plum
Creek from its 2020 list of impaired waters for bacte-
ria. The decision to move forward with the delisting
was based on E. coli bacteria geometric mean monthly
data showing that the state standard was achieved
during 2017-2019 (Figure 3). Recent MPCA monitoring
data also suggests that Plum Creek provides quality
habitat for sensitive biological species.
The Plum Creek project serves as an example for
addressing nonpoint source bacteria impairments
locally and within the state. The Stearns SWCD is cur-
rently working with the MPCA on bacteria monitoring
on some other area streams/tributaries with the goal
of achieving the same results as Plum Creek.
Partners and Funding
This project was supported by a collaborative network,
which included financial contributions from private,
state and iocal sources. Because much of the work was
done privately and/or in combination with donated
resources and volunteer efforts, the exact costs
Figure 2. Plum Creek monitoring sites and BMP locations.
Plum Creek E.coli Geometric Means
Pre-BMPs 2009-2010	| Post-BMPs 2017-2019 |
I »
o	j^Hj		E.coli standard
ill .11
June	July	Aug	June	July	Aug
Figure 3. Recent E. coli data show that Plum Creek
meets the water quality standard.
are not known. The PCNN initiated this restoration
project and paid $20,000 for monitoring and in-kind
costs in 2014-2017. Stearns SWCD provided technical
support ($23,000). The Kloeppner Grade Stabilization
Project cost $34,357. In-kind monitoring, lab analysis
and technical support done by the UMN ($25,000),
College of St. Benedict and St. John's ($100,000) from
2016-2019 was highly valuable for the project's overall
success. Sarah McLarnan, College of St. Benedict,
won a $50,000 EPA Greater Research Opportunities
Fellowship using this project as the focal point of
her research. Additional costs included the time
and resources spent by the Stearns County Highway
Department, Minnesota Department of Transportation
and associated landowners. The MPCA provided
technical support as needed from 2012-2019 and
helped provided $2,500 through Clean Water Funds in
2018-2019.
&
*L PRO^°
2
o
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA 841-F-20-001R
October 2020
For additional information contact:
Phil Votruba
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
218-316-3901 • phil.votruba@state.mn.us
PlunrCreek Monitoring[Sites>nd1BMPs!
Plum Creek Conservation Projects (BMPs)
Legend
Public Water
- - - Public Ditch
= Impaired Reach
-fe Monitoring Locations
BMP 1.
BMP 2.
BMP 3.
BMP 4.
BMP 5.
County Road 143 culvert outlet erosion control - Summer 2015
Buffer established on Plum Creek - MNDOT right-of-way - Summer 2015
Change in tillage and planting orientation - field season 2017
Water quality structure implementation - completed November 2017
Septic System Upgrade - completed July 2018

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