Watershed Management
A watershed Management Plan is a document which pulls together information from a variety of sources to identify the current status of the lake and set goals to improve the lake’s water quality. The document describes the features of the watershed, including land use, soil types, topographic features, and hydrology. Existing data, such as the Crisman Report and data gathered by the LMEC over the years, is reviewed and new data is collected to identify causes of water quality impairments and stressors in the watershed. From this data and other input, management goals will be developed, as well as the paths we need to take to achieve the goals. The Watershed Management Plan will describe what needs to be implemented or changed to achieve the goals.
While empirical data and scientific method will play a significant role in developing the plan, input from stakeholders in the watershed is needed. Stakeholder need to be involved in the watershed planning process. Everyone’s knowledge of the local social, economic, political, and ecological conditions provide the yardstick against which proposed solutions must be measured. Also, the goals, problems, and remediation strategies generated by stakeholders define what’s desirable and achievable. Weaving stakeholder input, legal requirements, and resource protection strategies into an integrated tapestry for managing surface and ground water is what the watershed approach is all about.
The first public meeting was held on December 3rd, 2003, at the Depot at the Town Park. Almost 50 people attended the meeting sponsored by the LMEC which included local government, state, and county officials, watershed residents, and lake residents. The meeting was one of the steps the LMEC is taking to create a watershed management plan for Lake Maxinkuckee. The two hour meeting culminated with well over one hundred comments, ideas, and concern shared.
