St. Cloud’s Lake George Added to Impaired Waters List

ST. PAUL (AP) - St. Cloud's Lake George has made a list of impaired waters.  The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has added 511 streams, lakes and other bodies to its updated impaired waters list.

The state agency now lists 3,643 waters as impaired, which means they fail to meet standards for activities such as swimming, boating and fishing. Waters added to the list undergo further study to determine how they can be restored to health.

Lake George is on the impaired list for excessive nutrients, which cause algae growth and can affect aquatic life and recreation.

The MPCA is sending its draft list to the Environmental Protection Agency for approval. The list is updated every two years as the MPCA studies additional bodies of water.

The agency is also recommending that 13 formerly-impaired waters be taken off the list because they now meet water quality standards. The success stories include Jewitts Creek in Meeker County and Credit River in Scott County, which have undergone cleanup projects.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved)