Wishin' Accomplished in NDM
The Clean Water Act defines an impaired water body as one that is not meeting a designated use because of degraded water quality. In this circumstance, the state (in our case, Iowa DNR) is required to complete a restoration plan that includes a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). The TMDL determines the load (amount) of pollutant entering the waterway and where it is coming from, and how much that load needs to be reduced for the water body to meet the water quality standard associated with the designated use. Because Iowa DNR has refused to support rule-making to establish nutrient standards, Iowa does not have many streams that are impaired for two of the worst pollutants, nitrogen and phosphorus, although almost all streams have been degraded by these contaminants. Until recently, the Cedar River was an exception--it was impaired because of its role as a drinking water source. While no community uses Cedar River water directly, the City of Cedar Rapids draws water from wells that ...