Meeting Minutes
ACEC-IDNR Committee Planning Meeting
August 10th, 2015
JSE Office
Conference Room
12:00 – 1:30 pm
MEMBERS PRESENT
Sign-in sheet attached to the meeting minutes.
Mr. Clint Roos called the meeting to order at approximately 12:00 pm.
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS
Mr. Roos, committee chair, welcomed everyone to the meeting and introductions were exchanged. A sign-in
sheet was passed around.
Mr. Roos read the ACEC Mission Statement aloud and briefly explained the purpose and goals of the
committee: The purpose of the committee is to maintain a line of open communication with IDNR, to
provide suggestions/recommendations on guidelines and requirements, and to work together with IDNR to
improve services to our common constituencies.
ACEC Upcoming Events were brought to the attention of the group (See attached ACEC event list)
Members in attendance were invited to create accounts on the new ACEC Indiana website if they have not
already done so: http://www.acecindiana.org/
POSITIONS
Committee Chair: Clint Roos with Janssen & Spaans Engineering
Board Liaison: Michael Rowe with United Consulting
Committee Secretary: George Watson (nice to meet everyone) of USI Consultants, volunteered to be the
Committee Secretary.
UPDATE FROM 2014-2015 SUBCOMMITTEES
Floodplain Modeling Guidelines Subcommittee
Subcommittee was started in early 2013 to review and update the modeling guidelines and checklist. The
subcommittee, in working with IDNR, has helped to update a majority of chapters which are posted to the
IDNR website.
Hydrology chapter is still outstanding and is pending completion of the discharge determination portal and
training materials. Implementation of the discharge determination portal may be held up by uncertified
LiDAR data.
Subcommittee has discussed a training course for new modeling guidelines with IDNR. The Subcommittee
suggested several dates in 2015, but the actual training date may be pushed back to early 2016. IDNR to
suggest a date for training to IDNR.
Floodway Habitat Mitigation Matrix Subcommittee
The Floodway Habitat Mitigation Matrix is a table that shows the minimum mitigation requirements of the
IDNR, Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE).
The Matrix is intended to be used by project managers so they can quickly know what will be necessary to
meet all three agencies’ mitigation requirements. It is understood that these requirements may change over
time and some mitigation requirements may depend upon the individual permitting agency reviewer.
The Matrix was sent to IDNR, IDEM and USACE to review. IDEM provided comments. USACE and IDNR did
not provide comments. An annual review of the matrix was recommended.
2015-2016 DISCUSSION TOPICS AND POTENTIAL AGENDA
In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program Status
Status of In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program: Not yet open, no credits currently available. IDNR is searching for
potential sites to develop for mitigation. Summer 2016 was discussed as earliest potential roll-out for
program.
Questions and Action Items:
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How will firms be selected to develop the site? Prequalification for construction required?
Can ACEC IDNR committee reach out to IDEM committee to learn more about in-lieu mitigation
program? Invite USACE to participate?
Create subcommittee to monitor progress of the program and credits and mitigation site
developments?
Mussels and Mussel Bed Mitigation
A new form of mussel bed relocation mitigation was brought to the attention of the committee. The
mitigation was improving the banks to reduce sediment pollution rather than relocating the mussels to a
more favorable stream location.
Questions and Action Items:
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Is this a new standard practice for impacts to mussel beds?
Can ACEC IDNR committee work with IDNR to establish guidelines for working around sensitive
mussel areas and for mitigating impacts to mussels?
Historic Preservation
No specific questions regarding historic preservation.
Questions and Action Items:
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How can we as a committee better reach out to the Historic Preservation division?
Improve communication between Consultants and IDNR Historic Preservation?
Dam Safety
The relationship between IDNR and the USACE concerning dam maintenance and upkeep was discussed.
Specific examples where USACE owns the dam but IDNR is responsible for maintenance were cited.
Questions and Action Items:
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Increase coordination between ACEC IDNR Committee and USACE.
Coordinate with IDNR Dam Safety Division
Update Dam Safety Guidelines to include low head dam removal. Investigate when the safety
guidelines were last updated.
Low Head Dam Removal
A program to remove existing low-head dams was discussed. There are safety and environmental benefits to
removing these low-head dams. The existing dams are drowning hazards. There is a movement to remove
the dams, but many are located on private land.
Questions and Action Items:
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Update Dam Safety Guidelines. Investigate when the safety guidelines were last updated.
Create or update best-practice guidelines for dam removal.
Create or update best-practice guidelines for marking existing low-head dams.
2D Modeling
The implication of the release of HEC-RAS 5.0 and the availability of a number of proprietary 2D floodplain
modeling software packages was discussed. More models will be submitted that are 2D.
Questions and Action Items:
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How to approach the testing of different 2D modeling programs.
Work with IDNR and INDOT to avoid two submittals with different software for each review agency.
Include as topic for the Floodplain Modeling Guidelines Subcommittee?
Hydraulic Modeling Guidelines Training
It is likely that the original proposed dates for holding an 8 hour training session for the new Hydraulic
Modeling Guidelines will be delayed into 2016. Scheduling with the IDNR will be difficult due to the IDNR
construction schedule and conflicts.
Questions and Action Items:
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Suggest new date in November or March for the training session.
Split the training session into a Morning Mitigation Session and Afternoon Hydraulic Modeling
session (or similar), so that only interested parties would attend each session.
Can ACEC INDR committee assist setting up the training?
Improve Participation from IDNR
Mr. Rowe suggested that a more social atmosphere for IDNR meetings, such as a lunch or end-of-day
meeting, may help with scheduling well-attended meetings with IDNR.
Questions and Action Items:

Can ACEC provide lunch for meetings with IDNR?
IDNR Non-Modeling Worksheets
The IDNR Non-Modeling worksheets were discussed and the committee generally gave a favorable review of
them.
One committee member ask about where the “Bridge Resurfacing Checklist” could be located. The checklist
is referenced on the non-modeling forms. No one was aware of this checklist and the committee will discuss
with IDNR.
2015-2016 SUBCOMMITTEES
Floodplain Modeling Guidelines Subcommittee
Chair: Siavash Biek (Absent) – nominated by Mr. Roos and seconded by those in attendance.
Subcommittee will continue with hopes to resolve and update the Hydrology chapter of IDNR Floodplain
Modeling Guidelines.
Monitor the development and implementation of 2D floodplain modeling.
Goal is to get regular meetings going again since the last meeting was in March.
Floodway Mitigation Subcommittee
Chair: Neal Bennett (BF&S) – volunteered to chair committee and seconded by those in attendance.
Subcommittee will be expanded from the “Floodway Habitat Mitigation Matrix Subcommittee” to include
mitigation discussions concerning “Mussels and Mussel Bed Mitigation” and the “In-Lieu Fee Mitigation
Program” as discussed above.
Mr. Bennett will send out an email and schedule of subcommittee meetings.
NEXT MEETING
It was agreed that a quarterly meeting of the ACEC IDNR committee would be best. The next meeting was
scheduled for November 9th at an undetermined time and location. Mr. Roos to follow-up with more details
as the date nears.
Mr. Roos to discuss opportunity for an upcoming meet and greet lunch meeting with IDNR.