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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAPPENDIX A CRITERIA FOR PRIORITIZANTION AND RATING SYSTEMAppendix A: Prioritization Criteria and Rating System Priority Criteria: 1. Size (large to small) 2. Water quality (low to high) 3. Aesthetics and nuisance abatement 4. Shoreline owner involvement (high to low) 5. Public access and use (high to low) Rating System: Table 1 Size Points Awarded Water Quality Points Awarded Large (10+ acres) 4 303(d) Impaired Waters List 4 Medium (5-10 acres) 3 Drains directly to impaired water or a water body which meets water quality goals and is in protection mode 3 Small (2.5-5 acres) 2 Data shows that water body does not meet applicable state or watershed water quality goals 2 Tiny (1-2.5 acres) 1 No data 0 Using Table 1, determine the number of points given to a water body by adding the points awarded for size and points awarded for water quality status. Ponds that are less than one acre will not be eligible for management by the city. Use the total points to find the service level from Table 2. Table 2 Service Level Points Required High 7-8 Medium 5-6 Low 3-4 None 0-2 The service level of the water body may be raised one level based on: x forming a lake group or association with 50% or more of the shoreline owners participating, or x providing significant public access and use Water bodies may only move up one category, even if they have both association and public access. Water Quality Standards: The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has set lake water quality goals for total phosphorus (TP), chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), and Secchi depth readings. Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) strives to meet those goals, or more lake-specific goals set using their water quality model. Nine Mile Creek Watershed District has set water quality goals for each of their four management levels. In cases where a specific lake or pond has not been categorized by the watershed district, the MPCA water quality standard will be used. Secchi disc readings and samples must be collected and analyzed for TP and Chl-a at least eight times over a season (April through October). Samples collected more frequently than one every two weeks will not be considered one of the required eight. Water quality data that is more than 15 years old will not be used for this ratings system. Table 3 MPCA and MCWD (MCWD model goals may vary, site-specific goals will overrule general goals) Nine Mile Creek Watershed District Shallow (< 15 feet deep, t 80% littoral) Deep Level I Level II Level III Level IV TP (mg/L) d 60 d 40 d 45 45-75 75-105 >105 Chl-a (mg/L) d 20 d 14 d 20 20-40 40-60 > 60 Secchi disc depth (meters) > 1 > 1.4 t 2.0 1.0-2.0 0.6-1.0 < 0.5 TSI* d 50 51-60 61-70 > 71 *TSI = Trophic State Index, determined by levels of TP, Chl-a, and Secchi depth readings. Examples: 1. A 303(d) Impaired Water, 2.5 acre pond: Size = Small, 2 points Water quality = 4 points Total points = 6 Initial service level = Medium Formation of a lake association with more than 50% of shoreline owners participating would raise the service level to High. 2. A 1.5 acre pond, no water quality data: Size = Tiny, 1 point Water quality = No data, 0 points Total points = 1 point Initial service level = None Formation of a lake association with more than 50% of shoreline owners participating would raise the service level to Low. 3. A 6 acre pond, no water quality data Size = Medium, 3 points Water quality = No data, 0 points Initial service level = Low In this case, if a shoreline owner wanted to collect water quality data, and that data showed that the water body did not meet the goals, the total points would rise to 5 and the service level to Medium. If shoreline owners then established a lake association, the service level would rise to High. 4. A 4 acre pond, no water quality data, with significant public use Size = Small, 2 points Water quality = No data, 0 points Total = 2 points + Public use (raise one level from None) Initial service level = Low Formation of a lake association would not raise the service level for the pond as will be raised due to public use. Collecting data that shows the water body does not meet water quality goals would add 2 points, which would bring the base service level to Low. The public use would then raise it to Medium.