CCCAAARRRTTTEEERRR LLLAAAKKKEEE WWWaaattteeerrr QQQuuuaaallliiitttyyy MMMaaannnaaagggeeemmmeeennnttt PPPlllaaannn West Pottawattamie Soil and Water Conservation District May 2008 Project Sponsors: City of Carter Lake City of Omaha Prepared by: Carter Lake Environmental Assessment and Rehabilitation (CLEAR) Council The Vision…. “Carter Lake will be the crown jewel of the metropolitan area by being a stable, healthy ecosystem that provides for multi use recreational activities and economic opportunities.” A Community-Based Water Quality Management Plan for Carter Lake Watershed Project Sponsors City of Carter Lake, Iowa City of Omaha Russ Kramer, Mayor Mike Fahey, Mayor Technical Advisory Team City of Carter Lake, Iowa Iowa State University in West Pottawattamie County Ron Rothmeyer Brad Richardson City of Omaha Nebraska Department of Natural Resources Pat Slaven Steve Gaul Harald Flatoen Josh Lear Iowa Department of Natural Resources University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Mike McGhee in Douglas/Sarpy Counties Chris Larson Steve Tonn Bryan Hayes USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Dale Duval Paul Brakhage Pat O’Brien Carter Lake Preservation Society Deana Barger Jeanne Eibes Terry Hickman Jan Petersen Joan Harder Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Mark Porath West Pottawattamie County Soil & Water Conservation District Metropolitan Area Planning Agency Kevin Seevers Paul Mullen Lynn Dittmer Iowa Division of Soil Conservation Bob Waters Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District Gerry Bowen Project Consultant: Olsson Associates Jason Farnsworth Sara Hanson Charles Ikenberry CLEAR Water Council: Peter Parkert Doug Wallingford Julie McKillip Pam Christiansen Pam Parkert Stephanie Kelley Merl Harder Mike Dailey Les Lundberg Bill Van Trump Doug Dodson Bob Hegwood Steve Wilbur Hani Haider Wayne Houston i Foreword The Community-Based Water Quality Management Plan for Carter Lake was instigated in response to a desire from watershed stakeholders to protect the water quality of Carter Lake for the support of aesthetic benefits, recreational use, aquatic and littoral wildlife and economic benefits. The successful implementation of the community-based plan required the formation of partnerships between several state and local agencies from Iowa and Nebraska and interested watershed citizens. The City of Carter Lake and the City of Omaha joined forces with the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Metropolitan Area Planning Agency, Iowa State University, Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Carter Lake Preservation Society, Iowa Division of Soil Conservation, and the West Pottawattamie County Soil and Water District. Representatives of these agencies formed a technical advisory team to assist the public in plan development. Most importantly, this effort was based on the extensive involvement of interested and affected citizens, including watershed residents, businesses, and lake and recreational users. These stakeholders, together with the technical advisory team, developed a vision statement, identified goals, management alternatives, action plans and projects that, when implemented, would protect the water quality of Carter Lake. The planning process also included an information and education component. By raising the awareness of the public’s role in maintaining and improving the water quality of Carter Lake, a foundation was laid for a strong local partnership. The development of the water quality management plan was largely funded by two grants. The first was a Watershed Project Development Grant from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Division of Soil Conservation, and administered through the West Pottawattamie County Soil and Water Conservation District. The second grant was received from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, funded by Section 319 of the Clean Water Act and administered by the Environmental Protection Agency through the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality. ii Table of Contents I. Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1 A. Lake Description ............................................................................................. 1 B. Watershed Description .................................................................................... 4 C. Climate ............................................................................................................ 7 D. Demographic Information ............................................................................... 7 E. Lake Usage and Economic Value .................................................................... 8 II. Public Input and Partnerships ................................................................................ 11 A. Public Input Process ........................................................................................ 11 B. Public Meeting Attendance ............................................................................. 13 C. Summary of Public Input - Public Meetings 1 and 2 ...................................... 14 D. Summary of Public Input - Public Meeting 3 ................................................. 17 III. Water Quantity ...................................................................................................... 17 IV. Water Quality and Fisheries Summary ................................................................. 20 A. Introduction ..................................................................................................... 20 B. Water Quality Standards .................................................................................. 20 C. Data Availability and Assessment Responsibilities ......................................... 20 D. In-Lake Water Quality Summary .................................................................... 21 V. Project Goals and Objectives ................................................................................ 31 VI. Nine Key Elements ............................................................................................... 32 A. Pollutant Sources ............................................................................................ 32 B. Load Reductions and Targets .......................................................................... 36 C. Management Practices .................................................................................... 37 D. Information and Education Program ............................................................... 47 E. Schedule .......................................................................................................... 48 F. Milestones ....................................................................................................... 48 G. Evaluation Criteria .......................................................................................... 49 H. Monitoring ...................................................................................................... 49 I. Resources ........................................................................................................ 51 VII. References ............................................................................................................. 57 Appendices ........................................................................................................................ 59 iii List of Tables Table 1. Carter Lake Features .................................................................................................... 3 Table 2. Land Use in Carter Lake Watershed............................................................................. 6 Table 3. Lake Usage ................................................................................................................... 8 Table 4. Average Spending ......................................................................................................... 9 Table 5. Spending, Labor Income, and Job Effects of Lake Visitations .................................... 9 Table 6. Economic Value of Direct and Secondary Recreational Spending .............................. 10 Table 7. Partnership Meetings ................................................................................................... 13 Table 8. Metals Concentrations in Carter Lake ......................................................................... 27 Table 9. Summary of Pollutants Monitored in the Bottom Sediments of Carter Lake (1990)... 28 Table 10. Subwatershed Parameters and Estimated Existing Phosphorus Load ....................... 33 Table 11. Estimated Phosphorus Loading Reductions from Recommended Alternatives.......... 37 Table 12. Phosphorus Reductions Based on TMDL and Council Goals.................................... 37 Table 13. Proposed Monitoring at Carter Lake.......................................................................... 50 Table 14. Estimated Watershed Treatment Cost ........................................................................ 51 Table 15. Estimated In-lake Treatment Cost .............................................................................. 51 Table 16. Estimated Information/Education Program Cost ....................................................... 52 Table 17. Other Alternatives for