Western Lake Erie Basin Partnership

Western Lake Erie Basin Partnership Western Lake Erie Basin Partnership

Western Lake Erie Basin Partnership

Western Lake Erie Basin Partnership

Presented by:

Name, Title

Your Organization

DATE YOU PRESENTED

The Meeting you presented at

Western

Lake

Erie

Basin

Partnership

Western

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Partnership

ObjectivesObjectives

• About Lake Erie Sources and Causes of Impairment

• History of the WLEB Partnership• Partner Roles and Responsibilities• Basins in the Project• Resources for Watershed Groups• Framing the Issues


SOURCES AND CAUSESSOURCES AND CAUSES

Western

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Western

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Sources and CausesSources and Causes• LAKE ERIE Sources:

– Agriculture– Stream bank erosion– Construction site runoff– Septic and homeowner maintenance issues

• IN-STREAM Causes:– Siltation– nutrients– Flow and Habitat Alteration– Organic Enrichment and low D.O.– Metals– Turbidity

Western

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Western

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The Overarching IssueThe Overarching IssueLake Erie is impaired due to excessive loadings of sediment and nutrients. Long-term water quality monitoring has identified the Maumee River as being the largest single contributor of non-point source pollution to the lake.

The Patient

The Symptom


HISTORY OF THE WLEBPHISTORY OF THE WLEBP

Western

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Western

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History of WLEBPHistory of WLEBP

2005 - USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) sign of a partnership agreement.

The agreement - the two agencies will collaborate on watershed planning and implementation; wetland creation, restoration, and enhancement; and natural disaster recovery.

In Ohio, the NRCS and USACE signed a regional agreement supporting the activities outlined in the national agreement, focusing on the Western Lake Erie Basin.

Western

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Western

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History of WLEBPHistory of WLEBP

November 2005, a meeting between various agencies and organizations took place to begin the process of formalizing a partnership between the NRCS, USACE and other stakeholders in the WLEB.

In March 2006, a WLEB Partnership charter was signed by fourteen representative agencies and organizations and partnership bylaws were adopted.


PARTNERS AND ROLESPARTNERS AND ROLES

Western

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Western

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CHARTER MEMBERSCHARTER MEMBERS

• USDA -Natural Resources Conservation Service• U.S. Army Corp of Engineers

• Governors of Indiana, Michigan and Ohio• Tri - State Technical Committees• Ohio Department of Natural Resources• Maumee River Basin Partnership of Local

Governments• National Association of Conservation Districts• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency• U.S. Geological Survey Ohio Science Center

Operational Leadership

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Role of USDA-NRCSRole of USDA-NRCSRapid Resource Assessments

• Short-Term: The plan estimates the acres of filter strips, riparian buffers, grassed waterways, conservation tillage and nutrient management as well as the number of Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans, waste storage structures, and pasture systems that will be needed to address resource concerns.

• Long – Term: Each of the eight different 8-digit hydrologic units in the project area will be combined into a basin wide plan.

Western

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Western

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Other Partners with WLEBPOther Partners with WLEBP

• All Soil and Water Conservation Districts in the Basin

• Conservation Action Project• Maumee Resource Conservation and

Development Council• National Center for Water Quality Research at

Heidelberg College• Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division

of Water and Division of Wildlife• Sisters of St. Francis• U.S. Geological Survey• University of Toledo

USDA-NRCS Letters of Agreement

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Western

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Role of USACERole of USACE

Comprehensive WLEB Study• Investigate measures to improve fish and

wildlife habitat, navigation, flood damage reduction, recreation, and water quality in the Maumee, Ottawa and Portage River watersheds.

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Western

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Continuing Authorities Projects (CAP)• CAP’s allow for planning, design and construction

of small projects. The CAP programs in the following list have 2 phases: feasibility phase and design and implementation phase, and are covered under the Water Resources Development Act.

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• Emergency Streambank and Shoreline Protection (§14)

• Beneficial Use of Dredged Material Program (§204)

• Flood Damage Reduction Projects (§205)• Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration (§206)• Modifications to Projects for the

Improvements of the Environment (§1135)


Current Relevant CAP list and section

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Sub Watersheds in the BasinSub Watersheds in the BasinMaumee Basin Rapid Assessment

Name HU Code Acres

Blanchard Auglaize Tiffin St. Mary’s St. Joseph Upper Maumee L. Maum. & Port.

Ottawa & L. Erie Direct

Completed

4100008 4100007 4100006 4100004 4100003 4100005 4100009 4100010 & 41000001

495,415 1,053,100 356,818 263,916 694,400 250,664 692,402

707,664

√


WLEB PARTNERSHIP RESOURCES

WLEB PARTNERSHIP RESOURCES

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Western

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• Charter, by-laws, members, contact information• Organizational chart• Meetings and agendas• Fact sheets, reconnaissance study reports and

projects• Links to related web sites• Educational institutions in the basin that have done

relevant work• Federal and State partners links

WLEB Web Site (www.wleb.org)

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• http://www.maumee.utoledo.edu/ – Non-technical user friendly– Clearinghouse of data layers for public use– Example of layers include watersheds,

elevations, stream networks, surface and bedrock geology, soils, roads, floodplains and significant land cover changes.

– Compatible with other data layers

University of Toledo Web Site

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Western

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• http://www.oh.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/erie_basin/erie_basin_project.html– Project Description– Project Area Map– Link to Western Lake Erie Basin

Partnership Web Site

USDA-NRCS Web Site

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• Steve Davis, USDA-NRCS, Regional Watershed Coordinator– Phone: (419) 223-0040

– Email: [email protected]

• Anthony Friona, USACE, – Phone: (202) 761-4526


• Patrick Lawrence – Phone: (419) 530-4128


WLEBP Contact Information

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Western

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Re - Framing the IssueRe - Framing the Issue

• The Watershed is

our patient!

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Western

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The Patient The Symptoms

Striving for a healthier, more productive watershed

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Western

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Re - Framing the IssueRe - Framing the Issue

• You are the Specialists and Doctors of your Watershed Patient!


QUESTIONS?QUESTIONS?

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Western

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Organizational ChartOrganizational ChartFigure 1a. Western Lake Erie Basin Partnership

Western

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Western

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Organizational ChartOrganizational ChartFigure 1b. Western Lake Erie Basin Partnership

Western

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Western

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Organizational ChartOrganizational Chart

Figure 1c. Western Lake Erie Basin Partnership

Documents

Western Lake Erie Basin Partnership