Big Sioux River Water Quality Assessment Project
Sioux Falls - Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)

The goal of the Clean Water Act (CWA) is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters. Pursuant to the requirements of the CWA, the SD Department of Environment and Natural Resources (SDDENR) is required to develop a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for all impaired water bodies within the state. A TMDL is a calculation of the maximum amount of pollutant that a water body can receive and still safely meet water quality standards.

The Sioux Falls TMDL Assessment project is currently underway for five stream segments of the Big Sioux River near the City of Sioux Falls. The City of Sioux Falls is the third-party lead for the project. RESPEC Consulting & Services out of Rapid City has been retained to develop the TMDL for these stream segments. Significant monitoring will be taking place along the Big Sioux River during 2009. In 2010 the data collected during this monitoring period will then be used to create a computer model to determine the loading capacity of the river. This monitoring and modeling will then be used to develop a TMDL document that will be submitted to the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). After approval of the TMDL stakeholders will develop an adaptive implementation plan to improve and maintain the water quality of the Big Sioux River.

The City is actively working with multiple agencies and stakeholders to ensure the project is a success. Government agencies directly involved with the project include: USEPA, SDDENR, East Dakota Water Development District and the City of Sioux Falls. This is an exciting project and stakeholder partnership to help protect and improve our environment.

As pertinent information is available, it will be posted to this webpage for the public to view. If you have any questions or would like to provide comment on this project, please do not hesitate to notify our project contacts.