Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy

Transcription

1 Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) Leech Lake River Watershed - Update October 28, 2014 Phil Votruba Watershed Division

2 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency July2007MuskyLeechLake.jpg.lnk IMG_2716.jpg.lnk 2

3 National Treasure Glacier National Park (August 2014)

4 First a Look into the Past! This picture is of a sewer in downtown Minneapolis in 1927: Over 1.5 million gallons of sewage and runoff and other waste, on average, per day, going to the Mississippi River to go away. How would you like to live downstream of this! Picture of early 19 th century Logging in Northern MN. 4

5 Federal Clean Water Act 72 Goal Fishable/Swimmable by 1983 Framework to protect and restore WQ Water quality standards are established to protect: Aquatic life Recreation and Consumption

6 Briggs Lake Sherburne County September 2014 Federal Clean Water Act 72 Goal Fishable/Swimmable by 1983 Framework to protect and restore WQ Water quality standards are established to protect: Aquatic life Recreation and Consumption

7 Briggs Lake Sherburne County September

8 Ten Mile Lake 8

9 Beneficial Uses

10 Beneficial Use Classifications Use Class Beneficial Use Class 1 Class 2 2A 2Bd 2B 2C 2D Class 3 Class 4A Class 5 Class 6 Class 7 Drinking Water Aquatic life and recreation Cold water fisheries, trout waters Cool and warm water fisheries, drinking water Cool and warm water fisheries Indigenous fish and associated aquatic community Wetlands Industrial uses and cooling Agriculture and wildlife uses Aesthetics and navigation Other uses Limited resource value waters

11 Ecoregions of Minnesota

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13 The 10 Year Cycle Monitoring and Assessment Condition monitoring Effectiveness monitoring Every 10 Years Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy TMDL Protection Strategy Implementation Plans Implementation Activities BMPs Permits Etc. 13

14 Map of Minnesota s Basins Upper Mississippi River Basin

15 Leech Lake watershed designated one of nationally recognized 10 'Water to Watch' By Denton (Denny) Newman Jr. on Jun 21, 2013 at 9:04 p.m. The National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) has designated Leech Lake watershed as one of the nationally recognized 10 Waters to Watch, for 2013, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

16 Watershed Facts Approximately 277 Total River Miles, 750 Lakes (170,000 + total open water acres) ½ of MN Natural Muskie Habitat, ¼ of U.S. Natural Muskie Habitat 44% Forest, 24% Wetland, 20% Open Water, 12 % (grassland, shrubs, residential, urban, row crops) 16

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18 Surface Water Assessment Grants Priority Sites 10x Stream sites (water chemistry) lakes acres (water chemistry) Goal Combine local resources with state resources to enhance monitoring capacity. (SWAG) SWAG Lakes (16) funding through Cass County (Partners LLBO, Hubbard SWCD, HSC) County Lake Name Lake ID Cass Boss Hubbard Horseshoe Cass Howard Cass Hunter Cass Kego Cass Knight Cass Larson Cass Little Bass Cass Paquet Cass Portage Cass West Twin Cass Twin Cass Thirteen Cass Lower Sucker Cass Portage Cass Six Mile

19 MPCA Water Quality Monitoring MPCA Priority Sites 100 lakes/year with a heavy emphasis on lakes >500 acres A percentage of lakes acres All 10x stream sites not picked up by grantees Goal Ensure monitoring of lakes most heavily used for recreation Ensure Stream chemistry data is available to support biological assessments 12 lakes to be monitored by MPCA in the LLRW Little Webb CASS Gadbolt CASS May CASS Benedict HUBBARD Garfield HUBBARD Hart HUBBARD Twenty-One HUBBARD Nelson HUBBARD Bass HUBBARD McCarty HUBBARD INGUADONA (N. BAY) CASS Lower Trelipe CASS

20 Leech Lake River Watershed Stressor Identification August 27, 2014 Kevin Stroom MPCA - Brainerd

21 Stream Impairments Two stream biological impairments (Spring Cr., Northby Cr.) Both are likely due to natural causes Natural Background Committee Review Low Dissolved Oxygen in many locations Low gradient streams Wetland riparian conditions Little shading

22 Strong wetland influence Necktie River at Cty Hwy 39

23 Spring Creek A small stream flowing into the south side of Wabedo Lake. 49 beaver dams above the sample site (some breached) Low DO at every visit (4). Macroinvertebrate impairment - no sensitive species, probably due to low DO.

24 Spring Creek Perched culvert at Cty Hwy 47 Another wetland-dominated riparian corridor

25 Boy River May be some DO impairments, but it will depend on data interpretation during the official assessment effort this fall.

26 Stream Monitoring Conclusion Overall, the biological communities are healthy! Just a couple biological impairments, which are likely due to natural causes. Official assessment happens this fall (November 2014). A nice Boy River walleye!

27 Lakes Not Meeting Current Water Quality Standards Based on Pre-Assessment Data TPμg/L 30 Chlorophyll-a μg/l 9 Secchi disk transparencn ot less than 2.0 m

28 IIIioiiijkjjjjjj (Long-term Monitoring data) Improving Mule, Blackwater, Ten Mile & Baby Declining Inguadona, Ponto, Stony 28

29 Pre- Planning Leech Lake River Watershed WRAPS Timeline Biological Monitoring Lake & Stream Monitoring Flow Monitoring Reviewing data, preparing assessments Nov 2014, WAT Dec 2014, PJG Jan 2015 Pre-Mod. Modeling Stressor ID & Priority Management Zones Citizen Engagement Final Reports TMDLs & Protection Plans Implementation

30 Leech Lake River WRAPS Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Project Updates WRAPS project started (December 2011) Intensive Watershed Monitoring Developed Strategic Plan for Civic Engagement component of project. CE is a continued effort throughout project Several CE team and Stakeholder meetings held for WRAPS since 12/2011. Watershed kickoff event held at the Hope Lutheran Church in Walker (May 2012) Second WRAPS to have a NEMO/NERO session. A few impairments (other than mercury) exist in the watershed 4 Lakes (Nutrients Natural background?) Hart (208 acres), Twin (162 acres), Blueberry (23 acres) and McCarthey (148 acres) 2 Stream reaches (Biological Impairments Natural Background?) 2 Stream reaches -Two stream biological impairments (Spring Creek, Northby Creek). Both are likely due to natural causes. Conducted field work this past summer to support IWM efforts and to gather information for natural Background determinations. (Stressor ID) HSPF Modeling scenario development.

31 What s Next? Prioritization Planning for watershed (Zonation Modeling) Zonation Survey Watershed Assessment process to begin- based on Existing data and data gathered in (Starting in November 2014, PJG Jan 2015) Continued Stakeholder Involvement and Public Participation (CE Strategic Plan) Start Phase III of WRAPS project (Final Phase) Writing of the WRAPS and TMDLs (if necessary). Includes development of Implementation Table Monitoring and Assessment & Stressor ID reports (Spring 2015) Continuation of Watershed HSPF modeling process (HSPF modeling finished summer 2015)

32 Hydrologic Simulation program FORTRAN (HSPF Scenarios) A good tool for the toolbox 32

33 Land Use Classification

34 Average Simulated Total Phosphorus Concentration by Subwatershed based on land use and land cover

35 Potential Threats to the Watershed and its Water Quality

36 Potential Threats to the Watershed and its Water Quality (continued) 36

37 Potential Threats to the Watershed and its Water Quality (continued) Cass Lake now added to AIS list September 2014 Little Rock Lake Benton County (2008) 37

38 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency We Protect What we Love - Jacques Cousteau Photo: Explore Minnesota Tourism