09/02/2008 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Search

Existing Conditions The RMP existing conditions element is a watershed -based natural resource plan that was used by the city to prepare this Comprehensive Plan. This section of the RMP contains an existing conditions, watershed -based analysis of wetlands, lakes, ditches, and the quality and quantity of water they depend on. The culmination of this work is graphically presented in Appendix A - Figure 10, which shows the location of high priority wetlands and associated high quality upland resources. The assessment of existing resource condition establishes the baseline for which the city's future land use alternatives were tested. The Existing Conditions section of the LL RMP presents watershed condition and resource assessments today to be used to inform recommendations for protection and restoration tomorrow. The following watershed components and processes have been examined. • Public Ditch System • Watershed Runoff • Nutrient Load • Wetlands and Associated Habitat • High Priority Resources Public Ditch System The RCWD Board is authorized to manage the public ditch system. The majority of the drainage system was constructed during the late 1800's and early 1900's. Over the decades, much of the system was minimally maintained by different ditch authorities. Today, many ditches function as straightened creeks within a partially or marginally drained wetland slough or riparian corridor. The major public ditch systems in Lino Lakes are: • Anoka County Ditch (ACD) 10 -22 -32 • ACD 25 • ACD 55 • ACD 72 The public ditch systems are an integral part of the RMP, and the RMP serves as the ditch repair alternative for each system. Updated ditch maps and system data were developed based on field surveys and historic records (see Appendix A, RMP, Figure 3). Profile and repair reports have been completed for all of these ditch systems, and the Resource Management Unit (RMU) recommendations integrate ditch repair implementation projects. Watershed Runoff Today, upland runoff from Lino Lakes and upstream communities moves through a series of ponds, ditches, wetlands, and pipes collectively called the conveyance system. Hydrologic modeling has been used to examine how these components are expected to respond under a range of storm events. Modeling and analysis has been performed at the catchment level, which are much smaller drainage areas within each subwatershed. Subwatersheds are in the 640 to 6,400 acre size range. Catchments are in the 32 to 320 acre range. The City will utilize these models for the existing conditions assessment for its LSWMP update. Hydrologic boundaries do not stop at the municipal border and orderly coordination between related municipalities is addressed in the RMP. Hydrologic boundary based, Resource Management Units (RMU) identified in the RMP are the basis for neighbor community coordination of shared water resources. The hydrologic modeling encompasses true watershed catchments even where the boundaries are outside the municipal boundaries. The modeling covers small portions of land area within North Oaks, Hugo, and Blaine, as well as all of Centerville. The contributing areas of Upper Rice Creek, Hardwood Creek, and Clearwater Creek • • •