Shingle Creek and West Mississippi Watershed Management Commissions Third Generation Watershed Management Plan

Meeting Purpose Provide an overview of the Shingle Creek and West Mississippi Watershed Management Commissions and their work Get your input on water resources priorities for the coming 10 years

Agenda What is a watershed and what is a watershed management commission? What is a watershed management plan and how does it relate to what cities do? What have the Shingle Creek and West Mississippi Watershed Management Commissions accomplished in the past ten years? What are the issues identified for next ten years, and how do the Commissions plan to address them?

What is a Watershed?

Why Manage Water Resources? 1972 Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Clean Water Act) was intended: “… to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.”

Surface Water Management Act 1982 (Metro Water Planning Law) Metro area divided into watersheds Each governed by a Watershed Management Organization (WMO) WMOs can be Watershed Districts or Joint Powers Commissions Each WMO must prepare a management plan for its water resources and update it every ten years

Metro Area Watersheds

Shingle Creek and West Mississippi Watersheds West Mississippi Shingle Creek

Shingle Creek and West Mississippi Watershed Management Commissions Created in 1984 Cities chose joint powers form to retain local control Governed by citizens appointed by the cities

Watershed Roles and Responsibilities Planning studies Development standards Monitoring, modeling, education and outreach Commissions: Policy and Coordination Capital projects Maintenance Enact ordinances, standard practices, etc. Member Cities: Implementation

Watershed Management Plans A framework guiding annual work plans and city Local Water Management Plans Assessment of problems and issues and corresponding goals, policies and strategies Specific steps to be undertaken over ten years Funding and partnership strategies

Relationship with City Planning Watershed Plan sets goals and policies City Local Plans implement strategies

Management Planning First Generation Plan, : focus on water quantity, preventing flooding Second Generation Plan, : focus on water quality, education and outreach Third Generation Plan, : focus on implementation and achieving outcomes

Overview of Past 10 Years: Successes 13 lake nutrient TMDLs Shingle Creek chloride TMDL Shingle and Bass Creeks Biotic and Dissolved Oxygen TMDL TMDLs evaluating water quality Amount of pollutant load reduction necessary List of potential actions that cities can take Implementation Plans for each TMDL

Overview of Past 10 Years: Successes Expansion of education and outreach program Education Obtained $2.2 million in grants for projects and studies Grants Calibrated hydrologic, hydraulic, and water quality models Modeling

Maintaining & Improving Water Resources 13 lakes do not meet water quality goals Shingle Creek and Bass Creek have low dissolved oxygen and poor biotic integrity Shingle Creek and Bass Creek are impaired by high levels of chloride from road salt Need to increase groundwater recharge TMDLs

Financial Stability City budget limitations More competition for grants Unfunded regulatory obligations How to fund financial incentives for private property Funding

Regulations, Rules, and Standards Upcoming state and regional TMDLs New water quality standards Managing redevelopment Impact of climate change Unknowns

Evaluation and Communication What is adequate progress toward improving water quality How do we influence behaviors that impact water quality How do we measure our success How should we provide information to and get input from the public Other Issues

Water Quantity Goals Continue to prevent flooding Increase summer flows in Shingle and Bass Creeks Shingle Creek in Brooklyn Park

Implementation Actions

Water Quality Goals Improve water quality to meet state standards in these lakes: ▫Schmidt ▫Bass ▫Eagle ▫Crystal ▫Middle Twin ▫Ryan Meadow Lake, New Hope

Implementation Actions

Water Quality Goals Improve water clarity in other lakes by 10% Complete stream improvements on 30% of the length of Shingle Creek Shingle Creek, Brooklyn Park

Implementation

Groundwater and Wetlands Goals Increase infiltration to restore groundwater Protect existing wetlands Improve functions and values of wetlands where possible Cherokee Drive wetland, Brooklyn Park

Operations and Programming Goals Operate within sustainable funding level Continue to share in the cost of implementation projects Continue to seek out grants and other funding sources

Continue the Monitoring Program Lake water quality Stream flow and quality Aquatic vegetation Fish and bug monitoring Volunteer monitoring

Continue Education and Outreach Programming Sponsor volunteer events Participate in education fairs Provide classroom education

Operations and Programming Goals Maintain updated hydrologic, hydraulic, and water quality models Maintain and update development rules and standards Serve as a technical resource for cities Continue research projects Coordinate water management between cities

Implementation Decrease stormwater runoff and improve water quality by adding more stormwater ponds, rain gardens, swales, native vegetation, and other practices. Restore the banks and channel of Shingle Creek and other small streams to make them more stable and natural. Continue to monitor our water resources to see if they are getting better and make sure they are not getting worse.

Implementation Continue providing education and outreach to school groups, associations, city councils and commissions, residents, and developers. Continue to research ways to improve water quality and aquatic life. Where possible, improve wetlands and increase infiltration to replenish groundwater.

Some Questions What do you think are the most important issues regarding our lakes and streams? Are there some additional things we could consider doing to help our water resources? What’s the best way to get information about water resources issues to residents and to commercial properties? How would you persuade someone to consider doing something new, such as a rain garden?

Thank You!