Rainy River - Headwaters August 2021 Draft Rainy River - Headwaters Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy Report Authors Moriya Rufer, HEI Scott Kronholm, HEI Nathaniel Baeumler, HEI Jeremiah Jazdzewski, HEI Section 2.5.4, Drinking Water Protection, provided by MDH Edits by Amy Mustonen, MPCA Contributors/acknowledgements MPCA BWSR 1854 Treaty Authority Amy Mustonen Erin Loeffler Tyler Kaspar Jenny Jasperson Jeff Hrubes Angus Vaughn Lake County SWCD Jesse Anderson MDH Tara Solem Nate Mielke Chris Parthun Emily Nelson Ben Lundeen Tracy Lund Derrick Passe Mel Markert Sonja Smerud USFS Theresa Sagan DNR Marty Rye Ben Nicklay Darren Lilja North St. Louis SWCD Edie Evarts Emily Creighton Phil Norvitch Kevin Peterson Jason Butcher Becca Reiss Brent Flatten Anita Provinzino Dean Paron Voyageurs National Park Karl Koller Ryan Maki Cook County SWCD Sam Martin Ilena Hansel Cliff Bentley Taylor Nelson Vermilion Community College Anna Hess Wade Klingsporn Richard Biemiller Tom Burri Steve Persons Kim Boland Editing and graphic design PIO staff Graphic design staff Administrative Staff Cover photo: Kawishiwi Falls, Ely, MN Scott Kronholm, HEI Document number: wq-ws4-87a Contents List of Figures ........................................................................................................................................ i Executive summary ............................................................................................................................ vii 1. Watershed background and description ....................................................................................... 1 2. Watershed conditions .................................................................................................................. 8 2.1 Condition status ............................................................................................................................... 11 2.2 Water quality trends ........................................................................................................................ 15 2.3 Stressors and sources ....................................................................................................................... 17 2.4 TMDL summary ................................................................................................................................ 27 2.5 Protection considerations ................................................................................................................ 32 3. Prioritizing and implementing restoration and protection .......................................................... 54 3.1 Targeting of geographic areas .......................................................................................................... 55 3.2 Public Participation .......................................................................................................................... 69 3.3 Restoration and protection strategies ............................................................................................. 74 4. Monitoring plan ......................................................................................................................... 83 5. References and further information ........................................................................................... 85 6. Appendices ................................................................................................................................ 88 Appendix A. Rainy River Headwaters Watershed Bibliography ................................................................. 89 Appendix B. Aquatic Consumption Impairment Table ............................................................................. 100 Appendix C: Assessment status of lakes and rivers in the RRHW ............................................................ 106 Appendix D: Rainy River - Headwaters Watershed Protection Prioritization Criteria ............................. 123 Appendix E: HSPF Scenario Memo ........................................................................................................... 179 Appendix F: Lake Assessments Memo ..................................................................................................... 180 List of Figures Figure 1. Rainy River - Headwaters land use map (NLCD 2016) ................................................................... 3 Figure 2. Rainy River - Headwaters Watershed overview map (MPCA 2017) .............................................. 6 Figure 3. Summary of RRHW aquatic life and aquatic recreation assessments (MPCA 2017) ................... 10 Figure 4. Aquatic consumption impairments in the Rainy River–Headwaters Watershed ........................ 13 Figure 5. Breakdown of runoff, sediment, and nutrient sources in the RRHW .......................................... 20 Figure 6. 2007-2014 average annual NO3+NO2-N, TSS, TP, FWMCs, and runoff by major watershed (MPCA 2017) ............................................................................................................................................... 22 Figure 7. Modeled TSS yield by subwatershed within the RRHW (HSPF-SAM) .......................................... 23 Figure 8. Modeled TP yield by subwatershed within the RRHW (HSPF-SAM) ............................................ 23 Figure 9. Modeled TN yield by subwatershed within the RRHW (HSPF-SAM) ........................................... 24 Figure 10. Mining features and the water quality health index score from the WHAF ............................. 26 Figure 11. TSS load duration curve, Blackduck River (09030001-820) ....................................................... 30 Rainy River - Headwaters WRAPS Report Minnesota Pollution Control Agency i Figure 12. E. coli load duration curve, Blackduck River (09030001-820) .................................................... 31 Figure 13. Federal land in the RRHW .......................................................................................................... 32 Figure 14. Source Water Assessment areas for the city of Ely ................................................................... 43 Figure 15. Source Water Assessment areas for the city of International Falls ........................................... 44 Figure 16. Wild rice waters in the RRHW .................................................................................................... 46 Figure 17. Annual average temperature trends in the RRHW alongside the 30-year running average (DNR 2015) ........................................................................................................................................................... 48 Figure 18. Annual precipitation trend in the RRHW alongside the 30-year running average (DNR 2015) . 48 Figure 19. Geographical targeting for drinking water protection strategies .............................................. 57 Figure 20. Geographical targeting for forestland management protection strategies .............................. 58 Figure 21. Proposed Coldwater Lake Designations..................................................................................... 59 Figure 22. Geographical targeting for habitat and stream connectivity management protection strategies .................................................................................................................................................................... 60 Figure 23. Culvert inventory results for the Ash River Watershed (MPCA 2019) ....................................... 61 Figure 24. Geographical targeting for lake management protection strategies ........................................ 62 Figure 25. Geographical targeting for septic and wastewater management protection strategies .......... 63 Figure 26. Geographical targeting for stormwater runoff control protection strategies ........................... 64 Figure 27. Geographical targeting for streambank and gully protection and restoration strategies ......... 65 Figure 28. BANCS survey results in the Ash River Watershed .................................................................... 66 Figure 29. BMPs implemented in the watershed from 2004-2019 (MPCA Healthier Watersheds) ........... 74 List of Tables Table 1. Rainy River - Headwaters Watershed - 2016 land use NLCD .......................................................... 2 Table 2. Trends for lake water quality parameters in the RRHW ............................................................... 16 Table 3. Secchi Depth Trends for Lakes in the RRHW. Trend data is from 1972-2019 ............................... 16 Table 4. Additional problem investigation performed in reaches within the RRHW ................................. 18 Table 5. Point sources in the Rainy River - Headwaters Watershed ........................................................... 24 Table 6. DNR top 10 scoring culverts in the Lake County portion of the RRHW for connectivity prioritization for brook trout resiliency ...................................................................................................... 27 Table 7. Water quality criteria for class 2A water bodies ........................................................................... 28 Table 8.TMDLs completed or not necessary (greyed out) within the Rainy River - Headwaters Watershed .................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Table 9. TSS TMDL summary, Blackduck