By VINCE MEYER
Outdoors Editor

Twenty-two streams and 31 lakes in the Upper Mississippi Basin have been added to the state list of impaired waters.

Most of the lakes were found to have high levels of mercury in their fish. EPA studies have found that 90 percent of the mercury polluting Minnesota waters comes from outside the state and as far away as China. Coal burning is the major source of mercury, though Minnesota's taconite industries also generate mercury.

Other waters on the list, including the streams, were found to have low oxygen levels, impaired biota (do not support the aquatic life that should be there), fecal coliform, excess nutrients, turbidity and ammonia. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency updates the list every two years.

The Upper Mississippi River Basin extends from Lake Itasca to Hastings. The Brainerd office of the MPCA will be responsible for studies and cleanup efforts on the lakes and streams. The work will be done over the next seven to 15 years. Eight projects currently are under way, with the remaining projects to be started in the coming years.

Most of the pollution is from non-point sources such as runoff and failed septic systems. Statewide, 1,900 individual waters were found to be impaired in some way, with 517 being located in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. The list of impaired waters is certain to get longer, said Jim Hodgson, MPCA water quality specialist.

"Just because a water isn't on this list doesn't mean it's OK," said Howard Markus, a water engineer, to a gathering of 30 people Thursday afternoon at the Brainerd office of the MPCA. "It might mean we don't know or don't have the data yet."

When a water makes the impaired list the first step is to do a TMDL -- Total Maximum Daily Load, diagnostic work that determines the source of the contaminant. This can take up to three years. When the source of the pollution has been determined the cleanup work can begin.

Funding is key to the entire process. An estimated $600 million to $3 billion was needed to clean up the waters on the 2002 list, said Jeff Risberg, TMDL coordinator. Now a new set of projects has been added to the list and money has yet to be secured. A group called the Minnesota's Impaired Waters Stakeholders has drafted legislation that would secure up to $75 million per year if it passes. Gov. Tim Pawlenty currently is reviewing the legislation, Risberg said. The legislation will be presented to the public during a Jan. 13 meeting in St. Cloud.

Major projects being worked on by the Brainerd office of the MPCA include the Long Prairie River, Swan River in Morrison County, and the Mississippi River from its headwaters to Bemidji. Upcoming projects include the Sauk River near St. Cloud and the Clearwater River from Clear Lake to Lake Betsy and Lake Louisa.

Statewide, just 12 percent of lakes and 5 percent of streams have been studied for pollution. Risberg said the goal is to study all state waters over the next 13 years, a process that will cost about $8 million per year.

"But the cleanup could take decades," Risberg said.