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

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Priority Lakes List The Priority Lakes List provides useful information for the management of the region's lakes and their watersheds. The Priority Lake List: • Indicates the criteria for categorizing a lake as a Council Priority Lake. • Identifies basic lake characteristics that can influence the management of the lake and its watershed. This type of information can be used to rapidly assess, on a large scale, the appropriate management techniques and challenges for a lake and its watershed. For example, it can be useful in reviewing watershed and surface water management plans, or prioritizing limited funding for lake/watershed improvement projects. The lakes that were on the Priority Lakes List for the 2030 Water Resources Management Policy Plan are included in the updated priority lakes list for the 2040 Water Resources Policy Plan, as well as 20 lakes that are new to the Priority Lakes List. For this Policy Plan, the reference "Spring Lake / U.S. Lock and Dam #2 Pool" was changed to "Spring Lake" because Spring Lake is just a portion of the much larger Pool #2. Priority Lakes Criteria The lakes on the Priority Lakes List were chosen if they met at least one of the following criteria: • High regional recreational value which includes the requirement that the surface area of the lake must be at least 100 acres • Water supply lake • Good water quality • Special significance for wildlife habitat High Regional Recreational Value. A lake is considered to have high regional recreational value if: • The lake has a public boat access. • The lake has an adjacent park. • The lake has a surface area of at least 100 acres. Water Supply Lake. A lake is considered a water supply lake if it is listed as having a drinking - water beneficial use as defined in Minnesota Rule 7050 and it is identified as a drinking water source (principal or reserve) in a water management plan by a local unit of government. Good Water Quality. A lake is considered to have good water quality if the annual summer (May -September) trophic status indicators are relatively low, as follows: • Mean water clarity (Secchi transparency) greater than or equal to 3 meters. • Mean chlorophyll -a (trichromatic) concentration less than or equal to 10 ug/L. • Mean total phosphorus concentration less than or equal to 23 ug/L. Good water quality lakes are restricted to those with a surface area of 10 acres or larger. Wildlife Significance. The Council's recently updated comprehensive development guide, Thrive MSP 2040, discusses the importance of ecological resources, habitat, and a healthy natural environment. There are several lakes in the Twin Cities metropolitan area that have special significance for wildlife habitat, including some where wild rice grows. A lake is considered to have special significance for wildlife habitat if it meets at least one of the following conditions: 66