Sustaining Lakes for Sustaining Lakes for our Kid’s Kidsour Kid’s Kids

Lawrence A. BakerLawrence A. Baker

Water Resources CenterWater Resources Center

Policy IssuesPolicy Issues

Lakeshore zoningLakeshore zoning Tailored for specific lakes or even parts of lakesTailored for specific lakes or even parts of lakes Codes for vegetation screening; impervious surfaceCodes for vegetation screening; impervious surface

Shoreline vegetationShoreline vegetation What works, what doesn’tWhat works, what doesn’t

Littoral habitatLittoral habitat Protect highest quality habitat from developmentProtect highest quality habitat from development

Nutrient management Nutrient management Whole-watershed P balances to guide policyWhole-watershed P balances to guide policy

GovernanceGovernance Greater need for local regulatory control and Greater need for local regulatory control and

managementmanagement PredictionPrediction

Where will growth occur next?Where will growth occur next?

Do we have an obligation to future generations?Do we have an obligation to future generations?

ConstitutionalConstitutional Minnesota: Article XIII, Sec. 12Minnesota: Article XIII, Sec. 12. Hunting and fishing and . Hunting and fishing and

the taking of game and fish are a valued part of our the taking of game and fish are a valued part of our heritage that shall be forever preserved for the people and heritage that shall be forever preserved for the people and shall be managed by law and regulation for the public shall be managed by law and regulation for the public good. good.

FederalFederal: “secure the blessing of liberty… for ourselves and : “secure the blessing of liberty… for ourselves and our posterityour posterity””

MoralMoral Current generation has imperfect duty to future Current generation has imperfect duty to future

generation; only “content” of rights questionable.generation; only “content” of rights questionable. Darwinian: Darwinian:

Preserving environment assures success of genesPreserving environment assures success of genes Spiritual:Spiritual:

Water symbolic of birth; regeneration (many cultures)Water symbolic of birth; regeneration (many cultures) Practical:Practical:

Preservation will be welcomed by our kidsPreservation will be welcomed by our kids

Problems with Minnesota’s Problems with Minnesota’s LakesLakes

Support of Designated Use

f or MN Lakes

I mpaired

Partial

support

Full support

Eurasian Milfoil Distribution(2005 Exotics Species Report)

Other lake exoticsEurasian milfoil (160 lakes)Curly leaf pondweed (702 lakes)Zebra mussels (2 lakes)Purple loosestrife (2,000 locations)Flowering rush (16 lakes)Spiny waterflea

Declining trophy fish

Fuller’s Tackle Shop Fishing Contest, Park Rapids, MN(Olsen and Cunningham, 1989)

Clearly, clarity has not declined!

Data from Minnesota Lake Browser

http://water.umn.edu/countystats/index.html

Sechi disk

What issues are very important to your lake association?

98%90%

63%60%

57%55%

53%52%

44%34%

29%25%

23%

Water Quality

Other

Fish

Plant

Exotics

Agriculture

Lake Levels

Zoning

Wildlife

Development

Drinking Water

Public Access

NoiseDan Kramer, U. of MinnesotaSurvey of MN Lake Associations245 responses

Current Current conditioncondition

%%

ExcellentExcellent 99

GoodGood 4747

FairFair 3333

PoorPoor 88

Don’t knowDon’t know 33

TotalTotal 100100

“Treasures Under Pressures” Survey (Anderson, et al. 1999)

Overall condition of lakes visited most

More “Treasures under Pressure”More “Treasures under Pressure”Survey ResultsSurvey Results

Excellent/Excellent/goodgood

Fair/poorFair/poor

Water qualityWater quality 5656 4141

FishingFishing 3939 4242

Scenic qualityScenic quality 7373 3333

Condition of Condition of shorelineshoreline

6262 3333

ImprovedImproved WorsenedWorsened

OverallOverall 1212 2121

Water qualityWater quality 1111 2424

Scenic qualityScenic quality 99 1818

Keeper fishKeeper fish 88 3030

Motorized Motorized watercraftwatercraft

11 5858

Wildlife Wildlife diversitydiversity

44 1111

Algae scumAlgae scum 55 3434

Direction of change(Treasures Under Pressure)

95% !

growth in lake-rich counties

The next 30 years

An aging population…

Less of this..

…and more of this.

New Directions

Policy Principles for the FuturePolicy Principles for the Future(from UM Lake Management Discussion Group)(from UM Lake Management Discussion Group)

1. Human ecosystems principle. 1. Human ecosystems principle. Human actions alter ecosystems, Human actions alter ecosystems, and these alterations impact human well being – either positively and these alterations impact human well being – either positively or negatively (feedbacks)or negatively (feedbacks)

2. Consonance principle.2. Consonance principle. Policies that promote ecological integrity Policies that promote ecological integrity (e.g., improve habitat quality) will generally enhance the well-(e.g., improve habitat quality) will generally enhance the well-being of lakeshore homeowners by improving aesthetics, being of lakeshore homeowners by improving aesthetics, increasing property value and reducing social friction. increasing property value and reducing social friction.

3. Tailored management principle3. Tailored management principle. Management policies tailored to . Management policies tailored to specific local environments are likely to be more effective, fairer, specific local environments are likely to be more effective, fairer, and less expensive than top-down “one size fits all” policies. and less expensive than top-down “one size fits all” policies.

4. Non-degradation principle.4. Non-degradation principle. It is cheaper and more effective to It is cheaper and more effective to prevent degradation lakeshores than to restore damage after it prevent degradation lakeshores than to restore damage after it has occurred.has occurred.

5. Cumulative impact principle.5. Cumulative impact principle. Degradation of the shoreline needs Degradation of the shoreline needs to be considered as a to be considered as a cumulative impactcumulative impact. .

6. Democracy principle.6. Democracy principle. The goal of policies are not merely The goal of policies are not merely utilitarian; good policies promote democratic participation.utilitarian; good policies promote democratic participation.

Environmental measurement:- Water samples- Field sensors- Satellite imagery

Analysis and data

processing

Steering committee and

community

Technical expert: interpretation

and recommendation

s

Baker et al., 2006c

Adaptive Management Research Approach

Communication- Newsletter- Joint meetings- Online discussion- Email

Level 3: agency research scientists; policy analysts

Level 1: elected officials; citizens

Level 2: technical professionals (e.g., water planners)

Lake profile tool

Scenario developmenttool

Habitat evaluationindex

Shoreline Vegetation evaluation

Phosphorus Model tool

Housing Valuation tool

Zoning tools

Lake Toolkit to Inform Policy