Koochiching County Comprehensive Water Management Plan 2000 Update ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Koochiching County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution to develop the first Comprehensive Water Management Plan (CWMP) in June 1990 and assigned the project to the Koochiching Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). SWCD efforts to complete the plan became frustrated due to personnel changes and a progressively more complex workload that included state- mandated programs. The plan was approximately half complete by the end of 1993. In spring 1994 the County Board of Commissioners re-assigned the project to the Planning and Zoning Department. Kate Foster was largely responsible for completing the 1994 – 1999 draft plan that was adopted by the Board. CWMP’s need to be updated at five-year intervals to re-assess old problems, consider new problems, edit or re-organize text and re-arrange or re-state priorities. The plan before you is not intended to be a complete re-write. While there are significant additions, appropriate portions of the ’94 text needed editing, other portions were deleted completely and some stayed intact. An equal, if not greater, effort was directed at re-organizing the plan so the contents flowed more logically toward the Action Plan at the end. Perhaps my format can be used as a template for future five-year updates. I wish to thank the following people for their confidence and help: Koochiching County Commissioners Koochiching County SWCD Supervisors KSWCD staff Pamela Tomevi and Thomas Toratti Environmental Services Director Richard Lehtinen (and staff) NRCS Soil Survey Team Edward A. Lombard, consultant Rat Root River Enterprises 4/17/2018 2 Table of Contents I. Foreword A. Scope of the CWMP.…………………………………………………….7 II. Introduction A. The Need for a Water Management Plan…………………………….8 1. State Legislation B. The Planning Process…………………………………………………..8 III. Koochiching County: General Natural Resource Information A. Environment………………………………………………………………9 1. Climate 2. Topography and Geology 3. Soils and Vegetation 4. Water a. Watersheds and Aquifers b. Protected Waters B. Natural Resource Use………………………..………………………..17 1. Land Ownership and Land Use 2. Urban Areas 3. Recreational Activities C. Other Natural Resource Plans……………..…………………………21 IV. Surface Water A. Quantity…………………………………………………………………..22 1. Stream Volumes and Velocity 2. Lakes: High Water Marks 3. Water Use Conflicts B. Quality…………………………………………………………………….25 1. Lake and Stream Classification 2. Monitoring Data 3. Fish Consumption Advisory C. Problems and Assessments…………………………………………..28 1. Pollution Sources a. Erosion, Sedimentation and Runoff i. Storm water b. Irrigation c. Public Drainage Systems 4/17/2018 3 d. Dumps and Landfills e. Industrial Waste Sites f. Feedlots g. Industrial Runoff / Discharge h. Septic Systems i. Hazardous Waste Generators j. Wastewater Discharge k. Flooding l. Shoreland Use m. Wetland Considerations i. Assessment of Wetlands ii. Federal Regulations iii. State Regulations (WCA) n. Water-based Recreation i. Lakes and Rivers in Koochiching County ii. Assessment of Impact on Water Quality D. Surface Water Quantity & Quality for Present and Future….……43 V. Ground Water A. Quantity………………………………………………………………….…44 B. Quality……………………………………………………………………...45 C. Problems & Assessments………………………………………………46 1. Unused, Unsealed Wells 2. Underground Storage Tanks 3. Special Geologic Conditions 4. Wellhead Protection D. Ground Water Quantity & Quality for Present and Future……….47 VI. Other Information Pertaining to Water Resources A. Fish & Wildlife Habitat…...……………………………………………..47 1. Wildlife Management Areas 2. Fish Habitat 3. Critical Fish Habitat 4. Lake Classification 5. Studies & Management Plans a. Fisheries & Lakes b. Wildlife B. Unique & Scenic Areas…...…………………………………………….52 C. Potential Changes that Affect Water Resources.………………….54 4/17/2018 4 VII. The Water Management Action Plan……………………………………..55 A. High Priority Goals...……………………………………………………56 1. To administer and implement the CWMP 2. To encourage people to update their ISTS’s 3. To administer the WCA 4. To reduce erosion and sedimentation 5. To extend sewer service to the Jackfish Bay area on Rainy Lake 6. To attempt to improve land use practices B. Moderate Priority Goals.………………………………………………..58 1. To attempt to monitor ground water quality 2. To assist in protecting wellheads 3. To do an unused, unsealed well assessment 4. To continue to monitor closed landfills 5. To assist in the removal of underground storage tanks C. Low Priority Goals.………………………………………………………59 1. To maintain balance between recreational use and environmental quality 2. To establish reasonable flood plain limits 3. To safely manage storm water 4. To continue to monitor industrial pollution VIII. Administration……………………………….………………………………..61 IX. Bibliography and Glossary of Acronyms………………………………...62 - 63 4/17/2018 5 LIST OF TABLES I. Basic Soil Classes and Permeability 11 II. Land Ownership in Koochiching County 19 III. Population of Koochiching County 20 IV. Location of Public Water Intakes 21 V. Surface Water Non-Community Systems 21 VI. Permitted Withdrawals from Lakes and Streams 24 VII. Fish Consumption Advisory 27 VIII. Permitted Irrigated Acreage 30 VIV. Dumps and Landfills 31 X. Permitted Wastewater Discharges 34 XI. Protected Waters and Shoreland Classifications 37 XII. Lakes with Public Access 40 XIII. Wells Covered by State Appropriation Permits 45 XIV. Wildlife Management Areas 48 XV. State-Designated Trout Streams 49 XVI. State Ecological and Management Classifications 50 XVII. Rare and Endangered Species 53 XVIII. Scientific and Natural Areas Designated by the 54 Wetlands Act of 1991 MAPS (FIGURES) 1. General Soils Map 12 2. Original Vegetation Map 13 3. Watershed Map 16 4. Land Use Map 18 5. Floodplain Map 35 4/17/2018 6 I. Foreword A. Scope of the Comprehensive Water Management Plan This document is organized in an outline format. The effort has been made to make it simple to understand and easy to follow. We believe this is a “working” plan: one that everyone can refer to for local water resource information in Koochiching County. There is a tremendous volume of information on the water resource of Minnesota. This plan only taps information that pertains to Koochiching County. We may have missed some sources or failed to consider some aspect of water quality improvement or degradation. In some situations we have short-term data but no analysis to suggest a realistic assessment. This countywide Comprehensive Water Management Plan is updated every five years to monitor implementation progress and to provide current assessments of water resource problems. Any constructive criticism is greatly appreciated and can be voiced through County Commissioners, Soil & Water District Supervisors or Environmental Services Department. 1) What is the status of the water resource in Koochiching County? 2) If the water resource is threatened what changes need to be made so that water quality can be improved and sustained? 3) What steps need to be taken to implement the changes? The Koochiching County Comprehensive Water Management Plan (CWMP) attempts to answer those three questions by, 1) gathering, studying and evaluating all available information related to water in Koochiching County; 2) setting management goals based on the conclusions and, 3) developing objectives by which those goals can be met. The concepts are easily discussed but difficult to research, document, and implement. The effort has been made to include the intent of existing plans and laws that affect the use of natural resources. An accurate evaluation of the water resource considers surface and ground water, land-related resources, the economic environment, and the overall condition of natural resources in the county. This project is a dynamic, interactive and very complex process. The CWMP does not attempt to duplicate existing plans. Other documented natural resource planning activity in Koochiching County has been site-specific focusing on pieces of the larger resource management picture. The CWMP is an attempt to create an all- encompassing (comprehensive) plan, incorporating many concerns and concepts found in other resource management plans but from a local, countywide standpoint. Coordination with plans in adjacent counties (Itasca, Beltrami, Lake of the Woods, St. Louis) and the province of Ontario will need to be considered more closely in the future because Koochiching County’s watersheds include land within those statutory boundaries. Issues of water quality and quantity are a regional ecosystem management agenda and watershed planning will become more prevalent in the new millennium. Koochiching County has also been involved in development of the Minnesota Water Plan 2000, an update of the State Water Plan to be in place until the year 2010. In 2001, MPCA will begin development of the Rainy Basin Plan that will involve all counties and Canada located in the Rainy Basin. The climate of state government and availability of funding play a large part in implementing some of the objectives stated in the Action Plan. Assessing the water resource in Koochiching County is a necessary first step so that non-funded objectives can be teamed with the proper management vehicle to resolve water quality problems. 4/17/2018 7 II. Introduction A. The Need for a Water Management Plan People who live in and visit Koochiching County probably have access to more unspoiled natural resources than most people on our entire planet. But trends in population