The Pioneer-Sarah Creek Watershed Management Plan is undergoing an amendment to its Second Generation Watershed Management Plan. The Commission will take public comment on this Major Plan Amendment until 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 25, 2011. Written comments should be addressed to Judie Anderson at JASS, 3235 Fernbrook Lane, Plymouth, MN 55447, or judie@jass.biz.
The purpose of this Major Plan Amendment is to revise the following:
Section V. Implementation Program / Priorities. Revised language is intended to clarify the Commission’s process for identifying and prioritizing capital improvements and the means by which the Commission intends to fund these projects. Section V – Tables.
Table V-1 Capital Improvement Projects. Projects listed in Table V-1 have been revised and updated to meet existing conditions in the Pioneer-Sarah Creek watersheds. One existing CIP has been revised and ten new CIPs have been added. They outline projects identified in the Lake Independence and Lake Sarah TMDL Implementation Plans and anticipated in the upcoming Watershed-wide TMDL.
Table V-2 Water Resource Programs. Table V-2 lists on-going programs routinely undertaken by the Commission. The descriptions and funding have been revised and updated and one new activity has been added.
Table V-3 Water Resource Studies. Table V-3 has been revised and updated to reflect the studies necessary to identify the scope of projects identified in the Lake Independence and Lake Sarah TMDL Implementation Plans as well as those anticipated in the upcoming Watershed-wide TMDL. It also includes the Watershed-wide TMDL itself as well as development and adoption of the Commission’s Third Generation Watershed Management Plan.
Table V-4 Summary. Table V-4 summarizes the fiscal totals for tables V-1 through V-3.
Section VII. Amendment Procedures. Revised language is intended to update the Watershed Management Plan formal review process to meet current statutes and extend the anniversary date of the Plan from July 2011 to October 2014.
A public hearing will be held on this proposed Major Plan Amendment on Thursday, November 17, 2011 following the Commissions’ regular meeting. Prior to that date a notice of public hearing will be published in accordance with statutory requirements.
In 2000 the Pioneer-Sarah Creek Watershed Management Commission and the Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission worked cooperatively with WSB & Associates to develop and write their second generation watershed management plans. In October 2001 citizens from both watersheds came together to discuss water resource issues within their communities. Topics discussed included education, water quality, non-degradation, shoreline protection, erosion, flooding, groundwater, wetlands, fish and wildlife, livestock/feedlots, population density/development, administration/leadership, and capital funding.
In 2002, the Pioneer-Sarah Creek Commission’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and representatives from various state agencies met to review and develop policies, standards and rules. Input from TAC meetings and the public meeting was used to create a preliminary draft plan that was presented to Pioneer-Sarah Creek watershed residents at a second public meeting in June 2002. A public hearing was conducted on November 21, 2002, to receive comments. Written comments were also received from the City of Greenfield, the Lake Independence Citizens Association, and the Department of Natural Resources. Capital project funding was also discussed. At the end of 2002 the revised draft plan underwent its second 45-day agency comment period.
In August 2004 the City of Greenfield became the final signatory to the Commission’s amended and restated Joint Powers Agreement, signaling the onset of BWSR’s 60-day final review period. BWSR approved the Pioneer-Sarah Creek Watershed Management Commission Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan on October 27, 2004, The Commission adopted the plan on December 16, 2004.
Local Plans
It is now the responsibility of member communities to develop their local water management plans or amend their existing plans to be in conformance with the Commission’s Plan. Local plans must be approved by the Commission and adopted by the cities by December 2006.
Local plans must comply with MN Statutes, Sec. 103B.235 and MN Rules 8410.0160 and 8410.0170 regarding local plan content and the requirements of the Commission’s Watershed Management Plan. Member cities may include in their updated plans any information that is important to their water resources planning. At a minimum, local plans must meet statutory and Commission second generation Plan requirements. Updated local plans may incorporate by reference information from cities’ first generation plans, if unchanged, other subsequent plans or studies they have undertaken, or from NPDES Phase II permit applications or reports.
The Plan
The Second Generation Plan has been broken down into its various sections here for your convenience. Please note that Appendix H is a very large file, at 4.3 MB.
Title Page and Table of Contents
Section 1. Introduction
Section 2. Land and Water Resource Inventory
Section 3. Goals and Policies
Section 4. Issues/Concerns and Corrective Actions
Section 5. Implementation Program / Priorities
Section 6. Impact on Local Unit of Government
Section 7. Amendment Procedures
Section 8. References / Supplemental Documents
Appendix A. Water Resource Related Agreements
Appendix B. List of Commission Members
Appendix C. Glossary
Appendix D. Lake Report Cards
Appendix E. Flood Hazard Study Information
Appendix F. Standards of the Pioneer-Sarah Creek Watershed Management Commission
Appendix G. Education Plan
Appendix H. Sample Ordinances
Appendix I. Sample Stormwater Maintenance Plan
Appendix J. Water Quality Monitoring Program
Appendix K. General Information About Buffers
Appendix L. Status of Member Communities’ Regulatory Programs
Appendix M. Suggested Low Impact Development Practices
Appendix N. Stormwater Utility and Trunk Fee Information
Appendix O. Management of Small Livestock Operations to Protect Water Resources