Statewide Altered Watercourse Determination

This project will support the MPCA’s water quality monitoring and assessment program. Specifically, the MPCA is developing a refined use designation process known as tiered aquatic life uses (TALU) to account for situations in which stream habitat has been compromised through hydrological alteration (e.g. channelization and ditching). An accurate state-wide determination of altered stream segments based upon the current National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) linework will assist in the assignment of the correct beneficial use within this new TALU framework. This project will apply the previously developed methods as well as modifications of this methodology at a state-wide scale. The final product from this project will provide a comprehensive set of altered watercourse events and established methodology for determining altered watercourse events throughout the state.