Cedar River Watershed District Watershed Management Plan October 2009 Prepared by Barr Engineering Co. Watershed Management Plan Prepared for Cedar River Watershed District Adopted by Cedar River Watershed District Board of Managers October 21, 2009 Approved by Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources September 23, 2009 Acknowledgments Cedar River Watershed District Cedar River Watershed District Planning Advisory Group Board of Managers Dave Livingston, CRWD Advisory Committee Steve Kraushaar, President Dave Hillier, CRWD Advisory Committee Harlen Peck, Vice President Jack Heather, CRWD Advisory Committee Mike Jones, Treasurer Corey Hanson, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Al Layman, Secretary Dave Peterson, Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources Dan Regner, Manager Bill Thompson, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Jim Gebhardt, Manager Mike Muzzy, Natural Resource Conservation Service Al Kording, Manager Don Flatness, Freeborn Soil and Water Conservation District Mike Hanson, Mower County Cedar River Watershed District / Daryl Franklin, Mower County Mower Soil and Water Sue Miller, Freeborn County Conservation District Staff Mark Gamm, Dodge County Steven Lange, City of Austin Bev Nordby, Administrator Brian McAlister, Austin City Council Justin Hanson, Resource Specialist Keith Sayles, Udolpho Township Matt Taylor, Watershed Technician Gene Tapp, Red Rock Township Rick Morrison, Engineering Technician Dick Epley, Austin Township Jeanne Crump, Administrative Assistant DeLos Frank, Nevada Township Don Davidson, Freeborn Township Others Assisting Jason Loucks, Dodge County resident Matt Benda, Peterson, Savelkoul & Benda, Arlen Schamber, Turtle Creek Watershed District Ltd., Watershed District Attorney Larry Larson, Farm Producer Groups Steve Penkava, Jones, Haugh, & Smith, Inc. I hereby certify that this plan, specification, or report was prepared by me or under my direct supervision and that I am a duly Licensed Professional Engineer under the Laws of the State of Minnesota. Karen L. Chandler Reg. No 19252 Date October 27, 2009 Prepared by Barr Engineering Company 4700 West 77th Street • Minneapolis, MN 55435-4803 • Phone: 952-832-2600 • Fax: 952-832-2601 Cedar River Watershed District Watershed Management Plan Table of Contents 1.0 Executive Summary ................................................................................ 1-1 1.1 Location and History ......................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Purpose and Scope ........................................................................... 1-2 1.3 Plan Organization and Summary of Issues, Goals, Objectives, and Potential Solutions ....................................................................................... 1-3 1.3.1 Plan Organization ................................................................. 1-4 1.3.2 Summary of Issues ................................................................. 1-5 1.3.3 Plan Goals and Objectives ....................................................... 1-6 1.3.4 Summary of Potential Solutions ................................................ 1-11 2.0 Physical Environment Inventory ................................................................. 2-1 2.1 Land Use ....................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Climate and Precipitation ................................................................... 2-2 2.3 Topography .................................................................................... 2-6 2.4 Watersheds and Drainage Patterns ........................................................ 2-6 2.4.1 Upper Cedar River Watershed ................................................... 2-9 2.4.2 Roberts Creek Watershed ........................................................ 2-9 2.4.3 Wolf Creek Watershed ............................................................ 2-9 2.4.4 Dobbins Creek Watershed ........................................................ 2-9 2.4.5 Schwerin Creek Watershed ...................................................... 2-9 2.4.6 Rose Creek Watershed ........................................................... 2-10 2.4.7 Orchard Creek Watershed ....................................................... 2-10 2.4.8 Woodbury Creek Watershed .................................................... 2-10 2.4.9 Mud Lake Creek Watershed ..................................................... 2-10 2.4.10 West Beaver Creek Watershed ................................................. 2-10 2.4.11 Lower Cedar River Watershed .................................................. 2-10 2.5 Soils ...................................................................................... 2-10 2.6 Geology and Groundwater Resources ..................................................... 2-12 2.7 MDNR Public Waters ......................................................................... 2-13 2.8 Wetlands ...................................................................................... 2-14 2.9 Water Resource Monitoring Information ................................................. 2-14 2.9.1 Water Quality Data ............................................................... 2-14 2.9.2 Water Quantity Data ............................................................. 2-16 2.9.3 Stream Inventory Data ........................................................... 2-17 2.10 Impaired Waters ............................................................................. 2-18 Cedar River Watershed District Watershed Management Plan Page i P:\Mpls\23 MN\50\2350015 Cedar River Watershed District Water Management Plan\WorkFiles\Final Plan\Table of Contents_Oct 2009.doc 2.11 Pollutant Sources ............................................................................ 2-21 2.12 Water Quality Modeling ..................................................................... 2-25 2.13 Water Quantity and Floodplain Information ............................................. 2-26 2.13.1 Flood Insurance Studies ......................................................... 2-26 2.13.2 Upper Cedar River Surface Water Management Plan ....................... 2-27 2.13.3 Other Hydrologic Modeling ...................................................... 2-28 2.14 Surface Water System ....................................................................... 2-29 2.14.1 Lakes ............................................................................... 2-29 2.14.2 Streams ............................................................................ 2-30 2.14.3 Ditches ............................................................................. 2-30 2.15 Recreational Areas .......................................................................... 2-31 2.16 Fish and Wildlife Habitat ................................................................... 2-32 3.0 Assessment of Issues ............................................................................... 3-1 3.1 Flood Control Problems and Issues ......................................................... 3-2 3.1.1 General Flooding Issues .......................................................... 3-2 3.1.2 Specific Flooding Issues .......................................................... 3-3 3.2 Water Quality Problems and Issues ........................................................ 3-4 3.2.1 Impaired Waters and TMDL Issues............................................... 3-5 3.2.2 Impaired Waters in the Cedar River Watershed District..................... 3-6 3.2.3 TMDL Studies ....................................................................... 3-6 3.2.3.1 TMDL for Fecal Coliform Bacteria in the Lower Mississippi River Basin ..................................................................... 3-6 3.2.3.2 Iowa TMDL for Nitrate in the Cedar River .......................... 3-7 3.2.4 Turbidity and Sedimentation .................................................... 3-7 3.2.5 Nutrients: Nitrogen & Phosphorus .............................................. 3-8 3.2.6 Fecal Coliform ..................................................................... 3-9 3.2.7 Mercury ............................................................................ 3-10 3.2.8 Groundwater ...................................................................... 3-10 3.2.9 Water Quality Impacts from Flooding ......................................... 3-10 3.2.10 Water Quality Data ............................................................... 3-10 3.2.11 CRWD-Identified Water Quality Issues ........................................ 3-11 3.2.12 Emerging and Future Issues ..................................................... 3-11 3.3 Erosion and Sediment Control Problems and Issues .................................... 3-11 3.4 Agricultural and Urban Drainage Systems Problems and Issues ...................... 3-13 3.5 Wetland Problems and Issues .............................................................. 3-13 3.6 Groundwater Problems and Issues ........................................................ 3-13 3.7 Land Use Management Issues .............................................................. 3-14 3.8 Public Education ............................................................................. 3-15 3.9 Funding Problems and Issues ............................................................... 3-16 Cedar River Watershed District Watershed Management Plan Page ii P:\Mpls\23 MN\50\2350015 Cedar River Watershed District Water Management Plan\WorkFiles\Final Plan\Table