Comprehensive Natural Resource
Planning in the Red River Basin:
Simplifying a complex process to essential
objectives and actions for healthier watersheds
Henry Van Offelen
Red River Basin
Coordinator
DNR Roundtable January
16, 2015
Presentation Overview


Brief Review of Traditional
Approach to Natural
Resource (NR) planning
A Model for Next
Generation watershedbased NR planning
How do effectively and
efficiently get to
implementation?
Red River Basin Resources
Traditional Conservation Planning and
Implementation
1.
2.
3.
4.
Gather best available science and knowledge.
Develop a plan for a species or habitat of concern that
includes:

General goals and objectives.

List of general strategies to achieve goals (regulatory,
non-regulatory, research, monitoring, education, etc.).

Recommend strategies be implemented as the
opportunities present themselves and as funding
becomes available.
Trust the plan will be implemented
Re-write plan in 10 years
Picture of plans
and integrate
Example goals from these state level plans
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


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Store water where it falls.
Maintain good water quality.
Manage invasive species.
Reduce streambank erosion.
Encourage prairie restoration efforts
“100,000 ft View”
“30,000 ft View”
Keep in mind
The scale at which actions to improve watershed
health need to delivered.
“1,000 ft View”
100 foot view
“100 ft View”
Ground view
“Boots on the ground”
Future conservation planning
1.
Gather best available science and knowledge.
2.
Develop a plan with goals and objectives.
3.
4.
5.
Prioritize and recommend
strategies/actions
Strategically implement actions
and actively pursue funding.
Measure progress and adapt.
New approach
Step 1- Describe the watershed
Slide with 30 maps describing the
watershed
Step 2 - Problem Identification
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Altered hydrology
Loss of habitat (upland, aquatic, and
riparian)
Degraded habitats (upland, aquatic, and
riparian)
Loss of connectivity among upland, aquatic,
and riparian habitats (also, there may be too
much)
Degraded water quality
Degraded soil health
Step 3- Review Relevant Plans
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
Red River Basin Mediation Agreement (1998)
Middle, Snake, Tamarac River Watershed District Plan (2012)
Natural Resource Assessment of the Middle, Snake, Tamarac River Watershed
DNR Comprehensive Wildlife Strategy- Tomorrow’s Habitat for the Wild and Rare
DNR Duck Recovery Plan
USFWS HAPET Resources
DNR Watershed Health Assessment Framework Resources (WHAF)
Fisheries Related Surveys and Management Plans
MPCA Impaired Waters Listing and TMDL Plans
MPCA Red River Basin Water Quality Plan
County Water Plans (18 in basin)
Minnesota State Conservation and Preservation Plan (SCPP)
Minnesota Sustainable Water Framework (MSWF)
Minnesota Prairie Plan
Minnesota Fish Habitat Plan
North American Waterfowl Plan - Prairie Pothole Joint Venture (PPJV)
Campaign for Conservation: A Fifty Year Vision
Aspen Parklands Subsection Forest Management Plan (Aspen Parklands SFRMP)
Conservation Area Plan for the Tallgrass Aspen Parkland
User’s Guide to Natural Resource Enhancement in the Red River Basin.
Red River Basin Commission - Natural Resource Framework Plan (NRFP).
Red River Basin Commission: Long Term Flood Solutions (LTFS).
Step 4 – Set goals to improve
watershed health
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Protect Existing Upland, Wetland, Riparian, and
Aquatic Habitats
Protect Groundwater Resources
Improve condition of Existing Upland and
Wetland Habitats
Improve conditions of Natural, Altered, and
Artificial Watercourses and Riparian Habitats
Improve Hydrologic Conditions
Improve Water Quality
Improve Soil Health
Review actions to frame objectives
1.
2.
3.
4.
Land use change
Land use practice change (tillage)
Drainage system BMPs including effective buffers,
side inlets, culvert sizing, controlled drainage, twostage systems, improvements, abandonment
Water retention and detention
Sediment basins, Impoundments, Wetlands, Culvert sizing
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Riparian buffers and filter strips
Channel stabilization
Channel rehabilitation/restoration
Intensive management of existing perennial
vegetation
Regulatory approaches (e.g. shoreland ordinance,
public water works permits, soil loss ordinances,
land use ordinances, storm water utility)
Keep prioritization in mind to set
objectives
Objectives
Two Categories (usually):
1. Upland, Wetland, and other Terrestrial
Habitats
2. Watercourses and Riparian Area
State objectives in the format of:
Take this action, in these priority locations, and
strive for this amount in a specific time frame.
If one of our goals is to…
Protect Existing Upland,
Wetland, Riparian, and Aquatic
Habitats
Voluntary measures
Action
Acquisition by public
ownership
Who is responsible
(landowner, LGU, Agency,
NGO)
DNR, USFWS, County,
Municipality
Acquisition by fee by NGO
NGO's (e.g. TNC acquisitions)
At and adjacent to areas of High
Biodiversity Significance, prairie
plan core, low CPI, high priority
natural channel reaches
Private land temporary
easement
NRCS, SWCD, NGO
At and adjacent to areas of High
Biodiversity Significance, prairie
plan core, low CPI, high priority
natural channel reaches
Private land permanent
easement
NRCS, SWCD, NGO
At and adjacent to areas of High
Biodiversity Significance, prairie
plan core, low CPI, high priority
natural channel reaches
Primary priority/target areas
At and adjacent to areas of High
Biodiversity Significance, prairie
plan core, low CPI, high priority
natural channel reaches
Regulatory measures
Action
Who is responsible (landowner,
LGU, Agency, NGO)
Primary priority/target areas
Shoreland ordinance
DNR, County, Municipality
50 foot buffer areas public waters,
protective overlay districts of
sensitive areas
Floodplain ordinance
DNR, County, Municipality
Public water works permitting
DNR
Wetland Conserv. Act
DNR, County, BWSR
404 permitting
USACE
Land Use Zoning
County
Storm water permitting
Municipality, WD
Municipalities
Soil Loss Ordinance
County
Areas with high sediment loading
Existing public waters
Sample objectives


Permanently protect at least 30% of lands
currently enrolled in the conservation
reserve program (CRP) within high priority
areas for wildlife habitat and flood damage
reduction.
Permanently protect 100% of the lands
currently enrolled in the Conservation
Reserve Program (CRP) within the highest
priority areas for stream channel
protection and restoration.
If our goal is to…
Improve conditions of Natural,
Altered, and Artificial Watercourses
and Riparian Habitats
Action
Responsibility (landowner,
LGU, Agency, NGO)
Primary priority/target areas
Natural and Altered Watercourses
Establish functional riparian areas
Landowners, easement holders,
agencies
Priority watercourse reaches for
improved stability. Near-channel
areas ranked high for SPI.
Install side water inlets and other
approriate drainage BMPs
Landowners, NRCS, SWCD
Priority watercourse reaches for
improved stability. Near-channel
areas ranked high for SPI.
Install effective grade control
Landowners, NRCS, SWCD
Priority watercourse reaches for
grade control.
Install effective bank erosion
control
Landowners, NRCS, SWCD, DNR
Priority watercourse reaches for
bank erosion control.
Drainage water Best Management
Practices
Landowners, NRCS, SWCD
Install/replace culverts and bridges
to promote channel stability
Remove or modify barriers to fish
passage
Watershed areas above priority
watercourses for improved
stability.
WD, County, road authorities
Priority watercourse reaches for
improved stability
WD, County, road authorities, DNR, Priority watercourses for fish
barrier owners
passage improvement
Implement actions that will
improve hydrologic conditions (see
hydrology goal/actions table)
Watershed areas above priority
watercourses for improved
stability.
Sample objective

Public waters
Achieve compliance with existing shoreland
buffer requirements.
Sample objectives continued

Legal Ditch Systems
Achieve compliance with existing ditch buffer
requirements.
Identify, assess, and prioritize the needs of
legal ditch systems for side inlets and other
erosion control BMPs.
Watershed-Based Natural
Resource Plan Contents
Intro./Planning Team/ Overview – 1 page
Planning Area Description – 2 pages go to
appendix
Review of Other Plans – ½ page go to appendix
Problem Identification – 1 page
Goals and Objectives (watershed and area
specific)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
•
•
•
6.
Upland and Wetland Habitats – 2 pages
Streams and Watercourse – 3 pages
Roles Table – 13 pages
Appendices - 50 pages
This approach…
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
Covers all the bases in terms of setting
goals and objectives to improve watershed
health down to a fine scale.
Puts emphasis on identifying, prioritizing,
and targeting high priority areas for
various actions within a watershed.
How to prioritize WHERE the actions
should be implemented.
GIS-LiDAR
Local
knowledge
Priority Areas for Wetland and Grassland
Restoration
Priority Areas to Reduce Sediment Loading
Where are priority areas for field and
watercourse BMP’s?
The priority areas for field and
watercourse BMP’s arre here
Final step - implementation
GIS
LiDAR
Buffalo-Red River
Shallow Lakes
Restoration
Becker County Project
Example
9 Lakes listed for
Excess Nutrients
(P)
Mean Soil Loss Per
Catchment
Mean Soil Loss Per
Catchment
With Surface Water
Connectivity
157 Landowners
in contributing
area of
“Shoreland”
Zones
104 Farm Tracts
Hay Creek / Shallow Lakes Accomplishments
• 114 Water & Sediment Control Basins
• 2 Grade Stabilization Structures
• 3 RIM WRP Easements
• 3 additional wetland restorations
• 140 Acres Filter Strips
• 259 Acres Additional CRP
Conclusions
1.
2.
The watershed level is a great scale to
integrate existing information and develop
goals and objectives to improve watershed
health.
Don’t overcomplicate NR planning.
More than enough background information and data are
already available to make good decisions.
Use an approach that moves the discussion to where
and what types of actions are needed.
Always keep in mind - How do we best get to
implementation?
Henry Van Offelen
Red River Basin Coordinator
218-849-5270
Henry.van.offelen@state.mn.us