09/02/2008 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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• • were also factored in. The city and the RCWD will work with adjacent municipalities to implement shared resource management goals Nutrient Load Total maximum daily load (TMDL) studies are being coordinated with the RMP to understand the source of excess phosphorus in several of the lakes. The Peltier /Centerville TMDL study is being funded by the MPCA. The second TMDL study, being funded by the RCWD, includes the Chain of Lakes downstream of Peltier. To identify phosphorus sources and loads, subwatershed catchment areas were broken out and modeled. The TMDL studies will discuss the relevance of the loading to lake impairment. In this document, loading is discussed with respect to wetlands and the implications for wetland management Wetlands and Associated Habitat Habitats are formed from lakes, wetlands, drainage systems, streams, grasslands and woodlands all working together. Except when endangered species come into play, the upland portions of habitat are not afforded direct regulatory protection like wetlands and lakes and streams (aquatic resources). Assessing the health of existing wetlands and associated habitat is important for the purposes of preparing a Comprehensive Wetland Management Plan and studying two biologically impaired streams. • Upland Upland vegetation mapping is based on current land use and includes all natural and non - natural land cover types as well as a vegetative quality indicator. In Lino Lakes, certain rare plant species are found along the marginal area between wetlands and uplands. Protection of these species is a local priority for the City and this habitat is accounted for in the RMP. The Peltier Lake heron rookery has also been a notable habitat component in the area. • Wet /ands Wetland vegetation mapping is based on current land use data and includes the size and types of wetlands. High priority wetlands will establish the critical nodes and linkages for what have become the Wetland Preservation Corridors. Wetland quality was assessed by looking at the functioning of the wetland habitat, characteristic wetland hydrology and water quality, wetland role in downstream flooding, as well as plant species and community diversity. The city contains numerous fully and partially drained wetlands that provide the greatest opportunity for wetland restoration activities. Wetland restoration projects function to retain and treat stormwater and at the same time enhance natural resources, all of which were determined to be of highest priority for the citizens of Lino Lakes according to a wetland values survey. As specified by the Minnesota Routine Assessment Methodology (MNRAM), the factors evaluated when considering a wetland for restoration include the number of nearby wetlands, hydrologic restoration potential without flooding structures, number of landowners involved, size, potential for a naturalized buffer, and restoration design complexity. Wetlands ranked high and medium are considered high priority for restoration (see Appendix A, RMP, Figure 9 — Partially Drained or Impaired Wetlands). Local wetland values such as Lino Lakes' interest in Tamarack Swamp restoration was also used in the evaluation.