Wawasee Area Watershed Management Plan Elkhart, Kosciusko, and Noble Counties, Indiana
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Wawasee Area Watershed Management Plan Elkhart, Kosciusko, and Noble Counties, Indiana April 13, 2007 Prepared for: Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation P.O. Box 584 Syracuse, Indiana 46567 Prepared by: c /o Sara Peel 708 Roosevelt Road Walkerton, Indiana 46574 (574) 586-3400 WAWASEE AREA WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN ELKHART, KOSCIUSKO, AND NOBLE COUNTIES, INDIANA EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Wawasee Area Watershed encompasses approximately 25,000 acres in southwestern Noble and northeastern Kosciusko Counties. The watershed lies in the headwaters of the Elkhart River basin. The watershed contains more than 25 lakes and many thousands of feet of streams. With funding from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife through the Lake and River Enhancement grant program the Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation (WACF) initiated the development of a watershed management plan in an effort to improve water quality in the lake and streams in the Wawasee Area Watershed. The WACF, along with their consultant, held several public meetings, reviewed available historical water quality data, and conducted current water quality sampling to identify water quality concerns in the Wawasee Area Watershed. Through the use of public notices and targeted mailings, property owners in the watershed as well as representatives from local, state, and federal natural resource agencies, not-for-profit organizations, and local governments were invited to attend the public meetings. Several common themes began to surface during the public meetings. Three concerns emerged as the top concerns of the watershed stakeholders: 1. the streams and lakes should support multiple uses such as water quality, biological habitat, and aesthetic value and water quality should be protected or improved; 2. watershed and lake users do not understand their impact on the lakes and their water quality; and 3. efforts should be made to protect the quality of the watershed’s natural resources. As a first step toward addressing their three top concerns, the watershed stakeholders agreed on the following vision statement. The watershed stakeholders will use this vision to guide management efforts in the Wawasee Area Watershed. The Wawasee Area Watershed is a scenic healthy watershed with balanced uses. Watershed stakeholders, along with their consultant, also identified the stressors associated with their top concerns and the sources of these stressors. High nutrient and sediment loads reaching the streams and lakes are the primary stressors driving the eutrophication of the waterbodies. The second stressor identified by watershed stakeholders was lack of knowledge by property owners living in and around the watershed. Pathogenic contamination, as evidenced by high E. coli concentrations, was the third stressor identified by watershed stakeholders. Finally, overuse through recreation was the fourth stressor identified by watershed stakeholders. To reduce the identified stressors in the Wawasee Area Watershed and address other concerns identified by watershed stakeholders, the stakeholders developed five goals and developed an action plan for each of the goals. The goals in order of priority as agreed upon by the watershed stakeholders are as follows: Goal 1: We want to reduce the nutrient load reaching Lake Wawasee by 25% over the next 10 years. Goal 2: We want to reduce the sediment load to the waterbodies within the Wawasee Area Watershed by 50% over the next five years. Page i File #03-07-37-04 Wawasee Area Watershed Management Plan April 13, 2007 Elkhart, Kosciusko, and Noble Counties, Indiana Goal 3: We want to reduce the concentration of E. coli within the Wawasee Area Watershed waterbodies so that water within the streams and lakes meets the state standard for E. coli. within 10 years. Goal 4: Within five years, 50% of landowners within the Wawasee Area Watershed will attend one educational event and 25% of landowners implement one water quality improvement project. Goal 5: Maintain and improve the recreational setting of the Wawasee Area Watershed by developing and implementing a recreational management plan for Lake Wawasee and Syracuse Lake within five years. Where feasible, the goals list specific targets watershed stakeholders wish to reach. Additionally, the plan identifies who will assist with implementing the plan and indicates what measures will be used to identify successful achievement of the plan’s goals and objectives. Page ii File #03-07-37-04 Wawasee Area Watershed Management Plan April 13, 2007 Elkhart, Kosciusko, and Noble Counties, Indiana ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Wawasee Area Watershed Management Plan was made possible with funding from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Division of Fish and Wildlife Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) Program and the Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation. The Wawasee Area Watershed Management Plan was completed by JFNew and their subcontractor, Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Contributors to this study included Gwen White, Angela Sturdevant, Cecil Rich, and Jed Pearson with the IDNR Division of Division of Fish and Wildlife and Ron Hellmich with the IDNR Division of Nature Preserves. Special thanks to the group of watershed stakeholders who faithfully attended all of the planning meetings and to Heather Harwood, Bob Myers, and David Brandes for their initiative and assistance in getting this study completed. Wawasee Area Watershed stakeholders who participated in the study included: Heather Harwood, who served as the primary liaison between JFNew and WACF; Bob Myers and Dean Schwalm who provided JFNew with directions and information during the watershed tour; Russell Baker and Sam St. Clair, who provided agricultural information; Dick Kemper and Scott Zeigler, who provided invaluable information regarding legal drains and their history within the watershed; Doug Nusbaum and Kent Tracey, who provided directions and information on projects previously completed in the Wawasee Area Watershed; Jed Pearson, whose knowledge of the lakes and their fisheries’ were invaluable; and to all of those who attended the planning meetings including: Russell Baker, Noble County NRCS; Dan Berkey; Todd Bowen, Enchanted Hills Association; David Brandes, WACF Director; Diana Castell; Nancy Duehmig, Syracuse Lake; Deborah Flanagan; Ken Fetters, Knapp Lake; Sherm Goldenberg; Susan Grivas, Kosciusko County SWCD; Jan Hackelman; Heather Harwood; David Heckaman, Sudlow’s Pier Shop; Dick Kemper, Kosciusko County Surveyor; Betty Knapp; Stacey McGinnis, Noble County SWCD; Bob Myers; Jed Pearson; Jerry Riffle; Steve Roth, Property Mgr, Tri-County FWA; Dean Schwalm; Nick Stanger; and Angela Sturdevant, IDNR- DFW. Without your opinion and input this project would not have even gotten off the ground. Data for this report were provded by William Jones, Erin Miller, Aaron McMahon, Rachel Price, Emily Kara, and Melissa Clark at Indiana University. Authors of this report include Sara Peel, John Richardson, and Betsy Ewoldt at JFNew. Page iii File #03-07-37-04 Wawasee Area Watershed Management Plan April 13, 2007 Elkhart, Kosciusko, and Noble Counties, Indiana TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 1.0 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................1 1.1 Watershed Partnerships..............................................................................................................................3 1.2 Stakeholder Meetings..................................................................................................................................3 1.3 Watershed Stakeholder’s Concerns...........................................................................................................4 1.4 Vision for the Future ..................................................................................................................................8 2.0 Watershed Characteristics ..........................................................................................................................9 2.1 Watershed Location ....................................................................................................................................9 2.2 Climate ........................................................................................................................................................11 2.3 Topography and Geology ........................................................................................................................12 2.4 Soils..............................................................................................................................................................16 2.5 Natural History ..........................................................................................................................................32 2.6 Natural Communities and Endangered, Threatened, and Rare Species............................................33 2.7 Hydrology...................................................................................................................................................34 2.8 Land Use.....................................................................................................................................................47 2.9 Population...................................................................................................................................................49 2.10 Land Ownership......................................................................................................................................51