OVERALL PLAN JUNE 2004 Roseau RiveR Watershed districT Portions of Beltrami, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Marshall, and Roseau counties, Minnesota TABLE OF CONTENTS Section I: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 5 Background........................................................................................................................ 5 Watershed Personnel.......................................................................................................... 6 Planning Background......................................................................................................... 7 SECTION II: WATERSHED’S MISSION ................................................................................ 10 History of the District ...................................................................................................... 10 Mission Statement............................................................................................................ 10 Purpose............................................................................................................................. 11 Goals ................................................................................................................................ 11 District’s Policy ............................................................................................................... 12 Rules of the Watershed District....................................................................................... 14 Historical Effectiveness of the District............................................................................ 15 Flood Damage Reduction ............................................................................................ 15 Agricultural Drainage .................................................................................................. 16 Natural Resources........................................................................................................ 17 Section III: General Description ..................................................................................... 18 Watershed Setting............................................................................................................ 18 Location and Size......................................................................................................... 18 Political Units within the District ................................................................................ 18 Population .................................................................................................................... 19 Economy .......................................................................................................................... 23 Agriculture................................................................................................................... 23 Forestry ........................................................................................................................ 26 Industrial Development................................................................................................ 26 Transportation.............................................................................................................. 27 Tourism and Recreation............................................................................................... 28 Land Use/Land Cover...................................................................................................... 31 Land Ownership............................................................................................................... 31 Government Land Holdings............................................................................................. 34 Physical Features ............................................................................................................. 39 Climate......................................................................................................................... 39 Topography.................................................................................................................. 40 Geology........................................................................................................................ 40 Soils ............................................................................................................................. 43 Natural Resources............................................................................................................ 45 Wildlife ........................................................................................................................ 45 Fisheries....................................................................................................................... 46 Water Resources .............................................................................................................. 46 Major watercourses in the District............................................................................... 46 Surface Waters................................................................................................................. 51 Rivers and Natural Streams ......................................................................................... 51 Page 1 June 2004 Runoff and Stream Flow.............................................................................................. 52 Lakes in the District..................................................................................................... 54 Wetlands: natural, altered and drained ........................................................................ 55 Drainage Systems ............................................................................................................ 55 Diversions ........................................................................................................................ 57 Water Management Structures......................................................................................... 58 Ground Waters................................................................................................................. 59 Unique Water Resources and Land Related Resources................................................... 60 Water Use ........................................................................................................................ 61 Groundwater ................................................................................................................ 61 Inventory of Public Water Supplies............................................................................. 61 Inventory of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Systems ............................................ 61 Existing Water Management Plans and Programs........................................................... 61 SECTION IV: EXISTING WATERSHED CONDITIONS........................................................... 63 Existing Conditions.......................................................................................................... 63 Flood Damage Reduction ................................................................................................ 63 Related Problems Flood Damage Reduction................................................................... 65 Water Quality................................................................................................................... 69 Section V: Overall Watershed Goals .............................................................................. 71 FDR Goals, Objectives, and Indicators ........................................................................... 73 Overall NRE Goals .......................................................................................................... 76 NRE Goals, Strategies, and Indicators............................................................................. 76 Section VI: Subwatershed Implementation Plans ......................................................... 84 BIG SWAMP....................................................................................................................... 84 Description of the subwatershed.................................................................................. 84 Water Quantity............................................................................................................. 85 Water Quality............................................................................................................... 88 Erosion and Sedimentation .......................................................................................... 89 Fish and Wildlife Habitat............................................................................................. 89 Water Based Recreational Activity.............................................................................. 90 Unique Water and Land Related Resources ................................................................ 90 LAKE BOTTOM.................................................................................................................. 91 Description of the subwatershed.................................................................................. 91 Water Quantity............................................................................................................. 91 Water Quality..............................................................................................................