Waterbody Classification Project

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Waterbody Classification Project

• A project of the
• Lakes and Watershed Commission,
• Dane County Department of Planning and
  Development, and the
• Dane County Regional Planning Commission
• August 26th 2004

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Meeting Agenda

• Background
• Classification System
• Next Steps
• Input and Discussion

3
Background

• Rising from public comment, the classification
  project was started to address citizen concerns
• Tailoring policies to meet the differing needs
  and circumstances of different types of
  waterbodies

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Overall goal to encourage the management of
lakes and streams on the basis of resource
specific characteristics

• Provide scientific basis for developing a mix of
  policy approaches appropriate for each waterbody
• Promote a deeper understanding of the current
  condition of Dane County waters

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• Will not identify certain waterbodies as better
  than others.
• Grouping waterbodies in order to identify and
  target management techniques tailored to their
  given physical, chemical, and biological
  conditions.

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Lakes and Ponds Sensitivity Measurements

• Lake Hydrologic Type
• Spring, Seepage, Drainage
• Maximum Depth
• Surface Area
• Shoreline Development Factor
• Stratification
• Septic Suitability
• Soil Erodability
• Others

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Lakes and Ponds Shoreland Development
Measurements

• Past methods
• dwelling units per shoreline mile or average lot
  size
• Impervious Cover
• any surface where water cannot infiltrate into
  the ground
• emerging as a key indicator for measuring the
  impacts of development on aquatic ecosystems.

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• http//www.co.fairfax.va.us/parks/accotink/impervi
  ous.htm

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Impervious Cover Model

• Our method
• 300-foot buffer
• Determined acres of each land use present within
  buffer
• Assigned each land use a recognized average
  impervious cover percentage
• Calculated the percent of imperviousness within
  the buffer

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Streams Subwatershed Development Measurements
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Streams Sensitivity Measurements
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Stream Classification

• DNR Fish and Aquatic Life classification

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Next Steps

• Phase I
• -Public Review and Comment
• -Final Report
• Phase II
• -Develop a Waterbody
• Protection Program
• (funding pending completion of phase I)

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Input and Discussion