Deep River-Portage BurnsWaterway Initiative

South Shore Clean Cities WebinarApril 18, 2014

Our Watershed at Glance

Watershed Communities

Known Water Quality Problems-Impaired Streams

10%

23%

59%

8%

Percent by Mile

D.O. E. coliIBC Siltation

Based on draft 2012 303d ListD.O. = Dissolved OxygenIBC = Impaired Biotic Communities

The Watershed Approach

Flexible Framework for Managing Water Resources

•Geographically defined• Collaborative• Strategically addresses water resource goals (ex. water quality, habitat)

Watershed Steering Committee & Public Involvement

Steering Committee Representation

•Municipal• County & Regional• Environmental & Conservation• Recreation• Business & Industry•Universities• State & Federal

Public Involvement

• At least quarterly public meetings• Education & outreach program• Volunteer stream monitoring program

The Watershed Management Plan•Watershed Community Initiative (elements 1-3)

•Watershed Inventory (elements 4-16)

• Identify Problems & Causes (elements 17-18)

• Identify Sources & Calculate Loads (elements 19-21)

• Set Goals & Identify Critical Areas (elements 22-24)

• Choose Measures/ Best Management Practices (elements 25-26)

• Action Register & Schedule (element 27-31)

• Tracking Effectiveness (elements 32-33)

Values

• Recreational opportunities • Aesthetics•Deep River is one of the few rivers in NWI that still has large sections of natural meanders• Connects so many cities•Drains to and affects Lake Michigan•Habitat/natural areas and biodiversity•Wildlife

•Quality of life• Sense of place• Parks and trails • Economic and tourism• Eventually becomes our drinking water • Beauty of Lake George•Mix of agricultural and urban land uses• Agricultural production and local produce

Stakeholder Concerns

• Loss of recreational opportunities•Negative impact to property values• Impacts to tourism• Coordination amongst municipalities, residents and businesses• Loss of fish habitat and wetlands• Riparian area & floodplain encroachment

• Stormwater runoff- sediment, nutrients, and pathogens (urban & ag)• Flooding• Reconciling drainage with water quality and habitat• Buy-in & public involvement•Open space conservation• Loss of cropland to development

Previous Watershed Plans

Watershed Characterization

Surface Geology

Soils- Runoff Potential

Increased Runoff Potential

Soils- Highly Erodible Land

Soils- Drainage Class

Soils- Septic System Limitations

Hydrology

Hydrology

Dams

Regulated Drains

Wetland Loss

Land Cover- 2010

28%

0%

45%

9%

6%3%

1% 8%

AgricultureBare LandDevelopedForestGrasslandScrub/ShrubWaterWetland

Shifting Land Use

Agriculture

Bare Land

Developed

Forest

Grassland

Scrub/ Shrub

Water

Wetland

0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000

2010 2006 2001 1996 1985

Acres

Development Patterns

Impervious Surface Cover

Conservation Tillage

Deep River-Portage Burns Waterway Baseline Assessment & TMDL Study

http://www.in.gov/idem/nps/3893.htm

Habitat Assessment Data

Habitat Assessment Data

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 350

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

11 13 13 11 11 11

210

3 37

13 13 13

27

11

1

11

1 2

13

1 2 1 1 311

1 2

113 1 1 1

10 7 6 10 7

17

11

12

12 9

14

14 13 11

1210

13

9

10

10 5

15

3

12 14

5

11

11

10 9

15

10 148 9

814

910 13

16

11

12

5 14

14

12 1616

15 12

13

9

9

7

5

6

8

7 7

7

8

7

612

8

11 410 10

6

5

55 7

7

5

7

6

6

85

6 8

95

5

3

3

5

4

5

6

36

4

5

9

8

5

4

3

4 37

74

3

68

11

8

7

9

7

9 7

104

4

3

9

6

7

6

3

10

4

98

6

4

5

75

9

44 7

9

05

0

00

6

3

0

00

0 5

7

2

04

0

2

0

0

0

5

0

00

0

0

0

0 0

0

00

4

0

6

10

4

66

6

4

4

6

10

4

10

10

10

10 10

6

6

4

4

6

4

4

44

4

6

6

48

4

10

4

10 4

Substrate Cover Channel Riparian

Pool/Current Riffle/Run Gradient Minimum

Site Number

QH

EI

Score

Project Tasks & Timelines Overview

Total Maximum Daily Load

Study(IDEM)

Complete Fall 2014

Develop Watershed

Management Plan

Jan 2014 – June 2015

Education & Public

Involvement Program

Jan 2014 – Dec 2017

Volunteer Stream

Monitoring Program

Apr - Oct 2014 - 2017

Develop & Promote Cost-Share Program

June 2015

Implement Cost-Share Program

July 2015 – Dec 2017

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.”- MARGARET MEADE

Questions/Comments?

Joe ExlSenior Water Resource PlannerNorthwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission6100 Southport RoadPortage, IN 46368219-763-6060 x137jexl@nirpc.org

http://www.nirpc.org/environment/deep-river-portage-burns-waterway-initiative.aspx