Mille Lacs County Local Water Resource Management Plan January 1, 2006 – December 31, 2016 Prepared by the Mille Lacs Soil and Water Conservation District and the Mille Lacs County Local Water Planning Advisory Committee TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Number Mille Lacs County Local Water Management Plan Contributors...................... 4 A. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: .............................................................................. 5 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 5 Purpose................................................................................................................................... 5 Accomplishments from the 1995 Water Management Plan ............................................. 6 Summary Description of Priority Concerns, Goals and Objectives................................. 7 Organizations and Associations ........................................................................................... 8 Consistency with Other Plans .............................................................................................. 8 Recommendations to Other Plans and Controls ................................................................ 9 B. PRIORITY CONCERNS ................................................................................10 Areas of Priority Concern .................................................................................................. 10 Priority Concern 1: The Cumulative Effects of Development on Surface and Groundwater ....................................................................................................................... 10 Priority Concern 2: Development of TMDLs for Impaired Waters ............................. 11 C. BACKGROUND ..............................................................................................13 Demographics:..................................................................................................................... 13 Surface Waters: ................................................................................................................... 14 Watersheds ...................................................................................................................... 14 Rum River Watershed ................................................................................................... 15 Mille Lacs Lake Sub-Watershed ................................................................................... 15 Snake River Watershed ................................................................................................. 16 Mississippi-St.Cloud Watershed ................................................................................... 17 Wetlands ........................................................................................................................... 17 Types ............................................................................................................................. 18 Protections ..................................................................................................................... 18 Wetland Conservation Act (WCA) ............................................................................ 18 Department of Natural Resources (DNR) ................................................................... 19 Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE) .............................................................................. 19 Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) ...................................................... 19 Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe (MLBO)........................................................................ 19 County Ditches .............................................................................................................. 19 Forestry ............................................................................................................................ 21 Soils – Surface Water ....................................................................................................... 21 Ground Water: .................................................................................................................... 23 Aquifers ............................................................................................................................ 23 Soils – Ground Water ..................................................................................................... 24 D. ASSESSMENTS ...............................................................................................28 Surface Water Assessment: ................................................................................................ 28 Mille Lacs Lake Sub-Watershed ................................................................................... 28 Wetlands ........................................................................................................................... 29 Development.................................................................................................................. 29 Forestry .......................................................................................................................... 30 Invasive Species ............................................................................................................. 30 County Roadway Influences .......................................................................................... 31 How Soil Type Affects Surface water ............................................................................. 31 Ground Water Assessment: ................................................................................................ 31 How Soil Type Affects Groundwater .............................................................................. 31 Aquifers ............................................................................................................................ 32 Groundwater Contamination Susceptibility .................................................................. 32 Impaired Waters Assessment: ........................................................................................... 33 Mille Lacs County Mercury Impairments .................................................................... 33 PCA and MDH Limits for Mercury .............................................................................. 34 Implications of Mercury Impairments.......................................................................... 34 Need For Additional Monitoring Of Other County Waters ....................................... 34 Summary of Assessments: .................................................................................................. 35 E. IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE AND ACTIVITIES ............................36 Clean Water Legacy 2006 Funding ................................................................................... 36 F. APPENDICES ...................................................................................................39 Appendix A - List of Acronyms Used In This Plan ......................................................... 39 Appendix B - Glossary of Terms ....................................................................................... 40 Appendix C – Mille Lacs County Population Projections ................................................ 42 Appendix D - Circular 39, USFWS Wetland Types .......................................................... 43 Appendix E – Forest Inventory for Mille Lacs County ................................................... 44 Appendix F – Impaired Waters List for Mille Lacs County ........................................... 45 Appendix G - References .................................................................................................... 46 Appendix H - Priority Concerns Scoping Document ...................................................... 47 Mille Lacs County Local Water Management Plan Contributors Local Lead Agency Mille Lacs County Commissioners Mille Lacs Soil & Water Conservation District Jack Edmonds - District 1 Susan Shaw, District Manager Roger Neske - District 2 900 Hwy 23 West Phil Peterson - District 3 Milaca, MN 56353 Robert Hoefert - District 4 (320) 983-2160 Frank Courteau - District 5 Board Supervisors: Kurt Beckstrom, Chair Ray Schultz Marcella Hoefert Gene Gerth Jim Miller Advisory Committee & Technical Assistance Shannon Bengtson Mike & Barbara Macioch NRCS District Conservationist Mille Lacs Lake Watershed Mgmt Group Tim Crocker Michele McPherson, Vice Chair DNR Hydrologist Mille Lacs County Zoning & Environmental Services Bill Dilks Snake River Watershed Coordinator Jay Munson, Assistant Engineer Mille Lacs County Highway Department Kriste Ericsson Friends of the Rum River Dave Pauly DNR Wildlife Karen Evens MN Pollution Control Agency Tim Pharis DNR Wildlife Keith Grow Board of Water and Soil Resources Ray Schultz Mille Lacs SWCD Board Supervisor Marlin Hage DNR Forestry Susan Shaw, Water Plan Coordinator Mille Lacs SWCD Scott Hanson Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Cade Steffenson Mille Lacs County Zoning & Environmental Robert Hoefert Services Mille Lacs County Commissioner Barb Zeroth Kay Keimig, Chair Mille Lacs SWCD Mille Lacs County Public Health Lori Wolff US Fish & Wildlife Service A. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Introduction Mille Lacs County is located in east central Minnesota 70 miles north of St. Paul, 115 miles southwest of Duluth and 29 miles east of St. Cloud.