Agenda - Council - 10/27/2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

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VI. ASSESSMENT OF PROBLEMS AND CORRECTIVE ACTIONS This section assesses the water -related problems in the City, prioritizes the problems and includes actions to adequately solve each identified problem. The City held a public open house on July 11, 2007 to gather input on water resources -related problems in preparation of the original 2008 plan. A public notice was published in accordance with City policies. Four residents attended the open house. The feedback that was received was primarily associated with the desire to protect the City's natural beauty including wetlands, wildlife habitat and wildlife corridors. The primary concern was that continued and uncontrolled development would adversely impact the current environment. All attendees expressed satisfaction that the SWMP is intended to protect these features. Throughout the course of completion of the 2008 plan and subsequent flooding events in 2011 and 2014, prior to this 2015 update, City staff compiled a list of nuisance flooding areas either noted by maintenance staff or by resident complaints. Figure 9 highlights all known nuisance flooding areas. A. Specific Lakes and Streams with Water Quality Problems Table 15 in Section IV, page 17 of this report, lists the current (2014) MPCA 303d Impaired Waters in Ramsey. There are also waters downstream of the City of Ramsey, such as Lake Pepin, that are impaired. The process to remedy the impairment includes establishing a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) allocation to each contributor to the problem. A TMDL is a calculation that determines the allowable pollutant load that can be discharged into the impaired water so that the limited load will ensure that the water improves to levels where it is no longer impaired. The typical process is initiated by the MPCA and includes a series of stakeholder meetings to formulate viable solutions and mutually work out a reasonable allocation of acceptable pollutant loading. Since a TMDL study has not been completed for these waters, the City should identify the priority it places on addressing impaired waters and how the City intends to participate in the development or implementation of TMDL projects. Furthermore, the City should volunteer to participate in the stakeholder process. Once a TMDL study is completed for the impaired water, the City must include, in this SWMP and its City-wide SWPPP, an implementation strategy including funding mechanisms that will allow the implementation of the TMDL requirements. As MPCA completes its TMDL process for each impaired water, the implementation of the measures to meet the TMDL will immediately become a priority item for the City of Ramsey. B. Flooding and Storm Water Rate Control Issues Figure 9 is a map of all flooding areas either noted by staff or associated with a resident complaint compiled between 1985 and 2014. The lake levels in Lake Itasca are historically variable, and have ranged from elevation 863.24 to elevation 871.9 with an average water level of 867.7. The DNR protects the lake to its Ordinary High Water Level of 871.4. To protect the properties around the lake, an emergency overflow should be established above the DNR protected level of 871.4. The overflow may be in the form of a pipe to the south or southeast, or it may be a new outfall to the Mississippi River. The storm water modeling performed for the area shows few opportunities for property damage associated with rainfall. Ponding areas having a potential for property damage Section VI October 21, 2015 Page 48