some preliminary thoughts on how

Upper Mississippi River Environmental Pool Plan Restoration Features and Activities

may relate to

Lake Pepin TMDL Water Quality Objectives

Scot Johnson, Mississippi River Hydrologist

DNR WatersJanuary 10, 2006

TMDL = WLA + LA + MOS + RC

Upper Mississippi River PlanningRiver-wide Minneapolis to St. Louis

2000 2000

Navigation Study Report UMRCC/Audubon Report

First Step Down - St. Paul District Reach Plan

Identify Goals and Objectives and Summarize Resource Issues Common to Pools 1 - 10

Fish and Wildlife Work Group

Working Together to Manage the Mississippi River for the

Future

2nd Step Down -Environmental Pool Plans

St. Paul DistrictRiver Resources Forum

St. Paul District

Lake Pepin TMDL

Public Citizens, Non-Governmental Organizations and Other Interest Groups

Spring Lake

Lower Impoundment

Lower Mooers Lake

Mooers Lake

Baldwin Lake

River Lake

Pool 2 Water Resources

Grey Cloud Slough

Mississippi River - Upper Pool 3

Conley Lake

St. Croix River

Prescott Island Prescott

Point Douglas

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Sturgeon Lake

North Lake

Diamond Bluff

Marsh Lake

Corps Island

Prairie Island

Gatenbein (Goose) Lake

Lock and Dam 3 Intermediate Dike

Upper Spot Dikes

Lock and Dam 3

Goose Lake

Prairie Island

Pickerel Lake

Vermillion River

Mississippi River - Upper Pool 4

Mississippi River - Lower Pool 3

Cannon Lake

Espen Lake

Spring Creek Lake

Dukes Pond

Mud Lake

Cannon River Delta

Cannon River

Vermillion River

Mud LakeDead Slough Lake Bay City Flats

Wacouta Bay

Goose Lake

Upper Pool 4 Water ResourcesWisconsin Channel

Lake Pepin

AQUATIC VEGETATION QUALITY

Pool 2

Pool 3

Pool 4

Pool 6

Pool 5

Pool 5A

Pool 7

Pool 8

Pool 9

Poor Quality

Good Quality

Excellent QualityUMRCC adhoc Vegetation Technical Committee 2003 Report and field observations in Pool 2

Existing Conditions

Potential Actions

Desired FutureEnvironmental Pool Planning Steps…

2004

Environmental Pool PlanRestoration 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 ManagementEPP Fish and Wildlife Objectives

Increase emergent aquatic plant coverage

Increase submersed aquatic plant coverage

Consolidate sediments

Diversify floodplain bathymetry

Reduce wave heights

TMDL Water Quality ObjectivesReduce Chlorophyll a concentrations

Reduce turbidity to improve water clarity/light penetration

Reduce suspended solids concentrations

Reduce water column nutrient concentrations

Pool-wide Drawdown during the Summer

Growing Season

Predicted vs. Actual exposed substrate at 30,000 cfsPredicted vs. Actual exposed substrate at 30,000 cfs

USGS UMESC

La Crosse

Brownsville

Stoddard

Lock and Dam # 8 (Genoa)

Lock and Dam # 7 (Dresbach)

Drawdown depths gradually

decline the further upstream of the Lock and

Dam

USACE

June 11, 2001

June 24, 2002

August 19, 2002

September 17, 2002

August 8, 2003

Pool 8Pool-Wide Water Level

Drawdowns

Pre Drawdown

During Drawdown

1st Year Post Drawdown

7/13/05 9/14/05

Pool 5 Drawdown – Whitewater River Delta

Vegetation provides excellent food, shelter, cover, Vegetation provides excellent food, shelter, cover, breeding and rearing grounds for aquatic life. breeding and rearing grounds for aquatic life.

Vegetation provides excellent food, shelter, and Vegetation provides excellent food, shelter, and breeding and rearing grounds for aquatic life.breeding and rearing grounds for aquatic life.

Just a few of the organisms that benefit from vegetation.Just a few of the organisms that benefit from vegetation.

http://www.dcwild.com/images/Mammals/Muskrat.jpghttp://www.eitangrunwald.com/NC500/NC500p1_files/Redbelly%20Water%20Snake3.jpg

http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/nature/frogs/thumbs/images/greenf.jpg

http://www.cmsu.edu/naturecentral/pictures/whitetail_deer.jpg

http://www.mkk.szie.hu/~tejfol/csuka2.jpg

http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/ro/naturewatch/images/photos/wildlife/birds/canvasbk.JPG

http://www.ctbirding.org/images/goldeneye%20lefta.jpg

http://www.webofnature.com/DR-6-3-04-0028-Blandings.jpg

http://www.schmoker.org/BirdPics/Photos/Blackbirds/YHBLfly3.jpg

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

Water Level Management

Highlighted Potential OutcomesTMDL = WLA + LA + MOS + RC

Tundra Swans

USFWS – UMR Refuge

Floodplain IslandsEPP Fish and Wildlife Objectives

Restore lost physical structure

Diversify habitat

Create sheltered areas

Reduce wind fetch

Reduce wave heights

Redistribute flow

TMDL Water Quality Objectives

Reduce turbidity to improve water clarity/light penetration

Reduce suspended solids concentrations

Reduce water column nutrient concentrations

USACE

19391947195419611967198319891994

Lower Pool 8 Island Erosion

USGS - UMESC

1939 1954 1998 199919891967

1937 2007?

Change in Fetch in Lower Pool 8from 1937 to present

Fetch increased after impoundment as islands eroded. Fetch decreased after 1989 as a result of island building

Lowest fetch

Highest fetch

USGS - UMESC

Island Protection and RestorationPast Experiences

Pool 8 Islands Phase II,near Stoddard, Wisconsin

August 1994 August 2000October 1961

USGS UMESC

Mechanical

Hydraulic

Island Construction

Pool 2 –Natural River Levee Island Restoration

Reduced sediment resuspension

Reduced streambank erosion

Reduced reintroduction of phosphorus currently sequestered in bottom sediments

Floodplain IslandsHighlighted Potential Outcomes

TMDL = WLA + LA + MOS + RC

Surface Water Use ManagementEPP 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.

- The more recreational boats capable of creating large waves the more shoreline that is eroding.

Maximum Wave Height

%Eroding

USACE

USACE

- Recreational boat traffic is forecast to increase 20% on the Upper Mississippi River in the next 50 years.

- Most of the traffic increase will be in Pools 3 and 4 which are already the busiest pools.

USACE

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

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

Surface Water Use ManagementTMDL = WLA + LA + MOS + RC

Highlighted Potential Outcomes

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