Waterbody Classification Project A project of the Lakes

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 26 th 2004

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

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

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

• 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.

Lakes and Ponds: Sensitivity Measurements • Lake Hydrologic Type – Spring, Seepage, Drainage • Maximum Depth • Surface Area • Shoreline Development Factor • Stratification • Septic Suitability • Soil Erodability • Others

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.

http: //www. co. fairfax. va. us/parks/accotink/impervious. htm

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

Streams: Subwatershed Development Measurements

Streams: Sensitivity Measurements

Stream Classification DNR Fish and Aquatic Life classification

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

Input and Discussion