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

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