Agenda - Environmental Policy Board - 12/01/2014

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also intend to add water quality modeling as an element of the review process. Additionally, planning and zoning commission members should receive copies of ACD's comments directly and ACD staff should offer to attend P&Z meetings for higher priority development proposals. Planning Water Management — ACD staff assist water SUNRISE RIVER management organizations with updates or supplements to their water management plans. We also help develop annual plans of work to ensure progress is made toward the goals outlined in their water management plans. ACD completed updates to the Sunrise River Watershed Management Organization's plan and facilitated a technical advisory committee for the Upper Rum River Watershed Management Organization that developed wetland and stormwater management standards, amended them to the WMO Plan and incorporated them into member city ordinances and control measures. ACD is actively engaged with partners to implement a wide range of elements of three Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy reports (WRAPS) in the Sunrise River, Rum River, and Coon Creek watersheds. WRAPS reports are comprehensive watershed analyses that are being used instead of water body specific TMDLs. Groundwater Sustainability— The supply of sustainable drinking water in the Twin Cities Metro Area has emerged as a pressing concern. Model studies by Met Council predict shortages in some communities by 2030. The Governor appointed ACD's Water Resource Specialist to serve on the Metropolitan Water Supply Advisory Committee to help develop strategies to address this. The 2012 drought punctuated the concern about diminishing groundwater as lake levels in the Metro area dramatically dropped and the connection between surface waters and groundwater was implicated. Ultimately it will be important to implement changes on the ground to promote conservation and recharge. ACD is committed to being an active part of the solution. Open Space — ACD has provided several municipalities with planning assistance to encourage the protection of open space during the development process. Nowthen, Andover, East Bethel, Ham Lake and Linwood all benefited from this effort. This was made possible with funding from the Legislative Citizens Commissions on Minnesota Resources. Staffing to continue this service is no longer available. ACD will continue to encourage open space protection as part of the development review process. Land Protection Preservation of parcels that are of particular importance for wildlife habitat is a high priority. Efforts to preserve land should be limited to parcels that fall within the identified wildlife corridor network, notwithstanding modifications to the corridor plan. With passage of the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy constitutional amendment, substantially WATERSHED MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION �MATERSITED 1 MANAGEMENT PLAN THIRD GENERATION ,tea Calsento,Dsstont page 28 Anoka Conservation District Comprehensive Plan October 2014