some preliminary thoughts on how Upper Mississippi River Environmental Pool Plan Restoration Features and Activities may relate to Lake Pepin TMDL Water Quality Objectives TMDL = WLA + LA + MOS + RC Scot Johnson, Mississippi River Hydrologist DNR Waters January 10, 2006
Upper Mississippi River Planning River-wide Minneapolis to St. Louis Navigation Study Report UMRCC/Audubon Report 2000 2000
First Step Down - St. Paul District Reach Plan Identify Goals and Objectives and Summarize Resource Issues Common to Pools 1-10
2 nd Step Down - Environmental Pool Plans Lake Pepin TMDL St. Paul District River Resources Forum St. Paul District Fish and Wildlife Work Group Working Together to Manage the Mississippi River for the Future
Public Citizens, Non-Governmental Organizations and Other Interest Groups
River Lake Grey Cloud Slough Mooers Lake Pool 2 Water Resources Baldwin Lake Lower Mooers Lake Lower Impoundment Spring Lake
Conley Lake Minnesota St. Croix River Point Douglas Prescott Island Prescott Mississippi River - Upper Pool 3 Wisconsin
Prairie Island North Lake Sturgeon Lake Corps Island Diamond Bluff Upper Spot Dikes Marsh Lake Lock and Dam 3 Intermediate Dike Gatenbein (Goose) Lake
Prairie Island Goose Lake Mississippi River - Lower Pool 3 Pickerel Lake Lock and Dam 3 Mississippi River - Upper Pool 4 Vermillion River
Vermillion River Cannon River Delta Cannon River Cannon Lake Dukes Pond Spring Creek Lake Espen Lake Mud Lake
Wisconsin Channel Upper Pool 4 Water Resources Mud Lake Goose Lake Dead Slough Lake Bay City Flats Wacouta Bay Lake Pepin
AQUATIC VEGETATION QUALITY Pool 5 Pool 5A Pool 6 Pool 2 Pool 7 Pool 3 Pool 8 Pool 4 Pool 9 Poor Quality Good Quality Excellent Quality UMRCC adhoc Vegetation Technical Committee 2003 Report and field observations in Pool 2
Environmental Pool Planning Steps Desired Future Potential Actions Existing Conditions
2004
Environmental Pool Plan Restoration Features/Activities Water Level Management Summer Drawdown Floodplain Island Restoration Surface Water Use Management Floodplain Connectivity and Flow Redistribution Floodplain Forest, Prairie and Marsh Restoration/Management Vegetative Buffers
Water Level Management EPP Fish and Wildlife Objectives Increase emergent aquatic plant coverage Increase submersed aquatic plant coverage Pool-wide Drawdown during the Summer Growing Season Consolidate sediments Diversify floodplain bathymetry Reduce wave heights TMDL Water Quality Objectives Reduce Chlorophyll a concentrations Reduce turbidity to improve water clarity/light penetration Reduce suspended solids concentrations Reduce water column nutrient concentrations
Predicted vs. Actual exposed substrate at 30,000 cfs USGS UMESC
Lock and Dam # 7 (Dresbach) La Crosse Drawdown depths gradually decline the further upstream of the Lock and Dam Brownsville Stoddard USACE Lock and Dam # 8 (Genoa)
June 11, 2001 Pre Drawdown June 24, 2002 Pool 8 Pool-Wide Water Level Drawdowns August 19, 2002 During Drawdown September 17, 2002 1 st Year Post Drawdown August 8, 2003
7/13/05 9/14/05 Pool 5 Drawdown Whitewater River Delta
Vegetation provides excellent food, food, shelter, shelter, cover, and breeding and and rearing grounds for for aquatic life. life.
Just a few of the organisms that benefit from vegetation. http://www.schmoker.org/birdpics/photos/blackbirds/yhblfly3.jpg http://www.ctbirding.org/images/goldeneye%20lefta.jpg http://www.cmsu.edu/naturecentral/pictures/whitetail_deer.jpg http://www.eitangrunwald.com/nc500/nc500p1_files/redbelly%20water%20snake3.jpg http://www.dcwild.com/images/mammals/muskrat.jpg http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/ro/naturewatch/images/photos/wildlife/birds/canvasbk.jpg http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/nature/frogs/thumbs/images/greenf.j pg http://www.webofnature.com/dr-6-3-04-0028-blandings.jpg http://www.mkk.szie.hu/~tejfol/csuka2.jpg
Water Level Management TMDL = WLA + LA + MOS + RC Highlighted Potential Outcomes Shift from algae dominated to macrophyte dominated freshwater ecosystem Reduced bottom sediment resuspension Reduced streambank erosion Increased suspended solids deposition Reduced reintroduction of phosphorus currently sequestered in bottom sediments
Tundra Swans USFWS UMR Refuge
Floodplain Islands EPP Fish and Wildlife Objectives Restore lost physical structure Diversify habitat Create sheltered areas Reduce wind fetch TMDL Water Quality Objectives Reduce turbidity to improve water clarity/light penetration Reduce suspended solids concentrations Reduce water column nutrient concentrations Reduce wave heights Redistribute flow USACE
Lower Pool 8 Island Erosion 1939 1947 1954 1961 1967 1983 1989 1994 USGS - UMESC
Change in Fetch in Lower Pool 8 from 1937 to present Fetch increased after impoundment as islands eroded. Fetch decreased after 1989 as a result of island building Lowest fetch 1937 Highest fetch 2007? USGS - UMESC 1939 1954 1967 1989 1998 1999
Island Protection and Restoration Past Experiences October 1961 USGS UMESC August 1994 August 2000 Pool 8 Islands Phase II, near Stoddard, Wisconsin
Island Construction Mechanical Hydraulic
Pool 2 Natural River Levee Island Restoration
Floodplain Islands Highlighted Potential Outcomes TMDL = WLA + LA + MOS + RC Reduced sediment resuspension Reduced streambank erosion Reduced reintroduction of phosphorus currently sequestered in bottom sediments
Surface Water Use Management EPP Fish and Wildlife Objectives Reduce streambank erosion Reduce sediment resuspension Reduce prop wash Reduce loss of aquatic plants Minimize other biological impacts TMDL Water Quality Objectives Reduce turbidity to improve water clarity/light penetration Reduce suspended solids concentrations Reduce water column nutrient concentrations
-The more recreational boating activity the more sediment resuspended in the water column. USACE % E r o d i n g Maximum Wave Height USACE - The more recreational boats capable of creating large waves the more shoreline that is eroding.
- Recreational boat traffic is forecast to increase 20% on the Upper Mississippi River in the next 50 years. USACE - Most of the traffic increase will be in Pools 3 and 4 which are already the busiest pools. USACE
Documented Commercial Navigational Impacts Resuspension of sediments Erosion of streambanks Damage to submerged plants Changes in flow direction and magnitude Greater impacts in upper reaches/narrow channels
Surface Water Use Management TMDL = WLA + LA + MOS + RC Highlighted Potential Outcomes Reduced sediment resuspension Reduced streambank erosion Reduced reintroduction of phosphorus currently sequestered in bottom sediments Surface water use legislation, policy and regulations Fleeting Plan Implementation Mooring Cell Plan Implementation
Preliminary List of Information and Modeling Needs Complete Bathymetry Mapping in Pools 2-4 HEC RAS Model and/or RMA 2 Seed Bank Analysis Wind Fetch Model Submersed Aquatic Plant Model Navigation Study Models Phytoplankton and Zooplankton community dynamics USGS - UMESC
USFWS - Refuge