02-01-2016 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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1.0 Executive Summary The City of Lino Lakes (City) has retained its rural charm while developing a quality residential and commercial base. It is a bedroom community, with over 81 percent of its residents traveling at least 15 minutes to work each day. The City's landscape and environment is largely a function of its 15 lakes, widespread wetlands, two tributaries and Rice Creek. Eight lakes are located in or abutting the Chain of Lakes Regional Park and bisect the community. Approximately 40 percent of the City's total land area is comprised of lakes and natural wetlands. Lino Lakes' wetlands are widespread and these areas often help mitigate excess stormwater runoff peak flows while also creating challenges and opportunities for development. The City's lakes generally fall into three shoreland management categories: Natural Environment, Recreational, and General Development as classified by the MN DNR. The Natural Environment Lakes are primarily located in the Chain of Lakes areas and include Peltier, George Watch, Marshan, Rice, Ward, Sherman, Cedar, Amelia, Rondeau, and Wilkinson. Recreational lakes include Otter, Centerville, Reshanau, Baldwin. Bald Eagle Lake is a General Development Lake. Recreational uses include swimming, boating, fishing and water skiing. Centerville, Bald Eagle, Peltier and Reshanau are considered game fishing lakes. Centerville and Bald Eagle Lakes are managed fisheries and are stocked annually with Walleye and Muskellunge. Currently, there are a number of water quality issues that the City of Lino Lakes will need to address in partnership with the watershed management organizations, state agencies, the County and surrounding communities. Within the municipal boundary of the City of Lino Lakes, seven lakes within the Chain of Lakes (Baldwin, Centerville, George Watch, Marshan, Peltier, Reshanau, and Rice), Bald Eagle Lake, and two creek reaches (Clearwater and Hardwood) are currently listed on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's 2014 Draft 303d list of impaired waters. The eight lakes are listed for nutrient/eutrophication biological indicators affecting aquatic recreation uses, Clearwater and Hardwood Creeks are listed for fish and/or aquatic macroinvertebrate bioassessments affecting aquatic life, and Hardwood Creek is also listed for dissolved oxygen affecting aquatic life. There are also three lakes that have fish consumption impairments due to high mercury concentrations in fish: Peltier Lake, Otter Lake, and Bald Eagle Lake. A number of TMDL Reports and Implementation Plans have been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). The City of Lino Lakes has received wasteload allocations (WLA) for the TMDLs listed above. The City will need to continue to demonstrate progress towards meeting the WLAs. The City has been reissued a NPDES general permit in 2014. The City of Lino Lakes has taken an active role in natural resources management by conducting or participating in planning efforts that will allow for development in the context of preserving the environmental assets that make the City unique in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. These previous planning efforts lay the foundation for the issues, goals, policies and implementation activities identified in this local surface water management plan. Issues, goals and policies have been identified under the following categories in Chapter 4: 4.1 Water Rate & Quantity 4.2 Water Quality 4.3 Wetland Management 4.4 Floodplain Management 4.5 Public Ditch System City of Lino Lakes SWMP 1 December 201511