Agenda - Council - 03/10/2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

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• Set forth an implementation program, including a description of official controls and, as appropriate, a capital improvement program. Local water plans also need to be consistent with the requirements of Minnesota Rules Chapter 8410 (Appendix C includes the local water plan requirements). Oversight of stormwater runoff from urbanized areas also happens at the state level. The municipal separate storm sewer systems or MS4 permit program is mandated by federal law and administered by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The primary goal of the MS4 permit program is to improve water quality by reducing the pollutants in stormwater that discharge into our lakes, wetlands, streams, and rivers. All local public entities including watersheds organizations, cities and townships that own or operate municipal separate storm sewer systems such as curbs, ditches, culverts, stormwater ponds, and storm sewer pipes are required to get a permit that focuses on preventing and reducing the impacts of stormwater runoff on our lakes, wetlands, streams, and rivers. This is in addition to local water plans that need to be prepared as part of the watershed management structure in Minnesota. More recently, the State of Minnesota adopted a watershed approach that includes how, when and where the organizations monitor, assess data, establish implementation strategies and implement water quality activities. With these data, the state is preparing watershed -based restoration and protection strategies for defined hydrologically based areas throughout the state of Minnesota. In the 2014 Impaired Waters list, there are over 630 lake, river and stream reach impairments in the metro area. The metro area impaired lakes, rivers and streams contribute to impairments outside the region -- Lake Pepin just downstream of the metro area was added to the impaired waters list for excessive amounts of nutrients which impacts recreational use and further downstream the Gulf of Mexico is impaired for nutrients which contribute to the dead zone -- once a great fishing resource. The Council also has responsibilities for surface water management, planning and assessment in the region. The Council is in a unique position, through its comprehensive planning, watershed management planning review, and federally designated areawide water quality agency roles and responsibilities, to provide a regional perspective on water issues that transcend community or watershed boundaries in the metro area. The Council works closely with state agency and local partners in using the "watershed approach" to water management in the metro area. The Council also works with watershed organizations on plan development, review and implementation, as well as with cities and townships on the review of their local water plans. Policy on Watershed Approach: The Council will work with our partners to develop and implement a regional watershed -based approach that addresses both watershed restoration (improving impaired waters) and protection (maintaining water quality in unimpaired waters). Implementation Strategies: • Work with the watershed management structure in the metro area on issues that transcend watershed organization boundaries in order to prepare water management 14