Lakes Advisory Committee Meeting

Lakes Advisory Committee Special Meeting Minutes Monday, March 4, 2024 – 8:30 pm Cravath Lakefront Room 312 W. Whitewater Street Whitewater, WI 53190 Hybrid Meeting 1. Call to Order and Roll Call Present: Carol McCormick, Elvira Kau, Ginny Coburn Geoff Hale and Kurt Zipp. Absent: Gayle Stettler Staff: Michelle Dujardin, and Kevin Boehm Guest: Justin Poinsatte, Danelle Matuszak, and Beverly Stone 2. Approval of Agenda Motioned by Geoff Hale. Seconded by Ginny Coburn. Ayes: Carol McCormick, Elvira Kau, Ginny Coburn, Geoff Hale and Kurt Zipp Absent: Gayle Stettler 3. Approval of Minutes from January 25, 2024 Motioned by Carol McCormick. Seconded by Elvira Kau. Ayes: Carol McCormick, Elvira Kau, Ginny Coburn, Geoff Hale and Kurt Zipp Absent: Gayle Stettler 4. Approval of Minutes February 9, 2024 Motioned by Ginny Coburn. Seconded by Elvira Kau. Ayes: Carol McCormick, Elvira Kau, Ginny Coburn, Geoff Hale and Kurt Zipp Absent: Gayle Stettler 5. Hearing of Citizen Comments No Comments 6. Considerations/Discussions/Reports a. Presentation from Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission i. Presentation given by Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission. Board questions and answers took place. Summary with Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission at the Lakes Advisory Meeting on Monday, March 4,, 2024. Outside of Plan  Note: we can provide advice to the City on these topics, but they will likely be addressed before the plan is complete  Formation of lake district o Important for plan development and implementation, but sounds likely to occur before plan is completed  Short-term cattail management o Address floating bogs from uprooted cattails if they occur  Cattails may die-off as water levels remain high o Apply for WDNR Surface Water Restoration grant to help address cattail management in summer 2025  Fish stocking in 2024 Plan: Short-Term  Aquatic plant survey of Cravath and Tripp lakes o This survey would inform an updated aquatic plant management plan for the lake  Shoreline survey o Complete survey of both lakes’ shorelines using WDNR protocol o Conducting in 2024 would help document current problems with cattail encroachment  Conducting in 2025 or beyond may better document “typical” conditions if cattails begin to die off  Fisheries o Request information from WDNR fisheries biologist regarding next fishery survey for lakes (already completed)  Water quality monitoring in 2024 o Cravath and Tripp lakes (ideally collaboration between City/District volunteers and UW- Whitewater)  Water clarity (secchi disk), temperature, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, chloride, total phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a o Bluff Creek, Spring Brook, Whitewater Creek upstream, and Whitewater Creek downstream (UW-Whitewater and SEWRPC)  Water clarity (transparency tube), temperature, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, total phosphorus, and total suspended solids o Note: we (SEWRPC) have automated water temperature and specific conductance loggers that could be installed into the lakes and creeks  Recreational use o Incidental monitoring while completing other surveys on lake – no intensive survey efforts Plan: Long-Term   Aquatic plant management plan o Informed by aquatic plant survey o Would enable City/District to apply for aquatic plant management permits as a single entity rather than individual homeowners  Fisheries o Enhance warmwater sport fishery (bass, crappie, perch, etc.) o Develop long-term plan to help reduce carp population  Water quality o Could request funds to analyze water quality constituents not covered in 2024 monitoring or to continue 2024 monitoring efforts o Incorporate 2024 and beyond data with historical data to examine conditions and trends in lakes, tributaries, and Whitewater Creek downstream  Shorelines o Ensure that City/District has permit to address shoreline restoration problems instead of individual homeowners  Stormwater management o Incorporate major elements and actions from 2017 stormwater management plan o Investigate potential impact of stormwater pollutants on lake water quality as part of pollutant load modeling  Recreational use o Install signs with QR codes asking lake users about how they recreate, fish that they catch, etc. o Ensure that water quality goals for fishable and swimmable lakes are met  Tie in with plans to increase recreational activities on lakes through handicap access for fishing, trails, swimming hole in Tripp  Lake and watershed characterization o Lake size, bathymetry, and brief review of dam infrastructure and operations  Using available information – no new surveys of dam o Characterize land use, civil divisions, households and urban growth, wetlands, etc. within watershed o These elements inform the pollutant load modeling as well as other aspects of plan development, e.g. recommending areas where wetland enhancement can trap nutrients  Pollutant loading o Conduct watershed pollutant load modeling (e.g., STEPL model) to examine major pollutant sources and source areas o Recommend practices and programs to help reduce pollutant loading  Agricultural practices, wetland enhancements, stormwater management, lawn and shoreline care, etc.  Grants and Funding Opportunities o We will recommend grants, programs, and other funding opportunities to help implement the practices and programs that we recommend within the plan. These will include grants that the City, District, and individual homeowners are eligible applicants for. Next Step: Southeastern Wisconsin regional Planning Commission will begin drafting a scope of work between the City and SEWRPC to address the Plan: Short-Term and Plan: Long-Term items with a preliminary budget. 7. Discussion and possible action regarding Stormwater Quality Management Plan i. Item differed to April Meeting 8. Discussion and possible action regarding creating a Resolution i. Committee was supplied a map with Cravath Lake shoreline residents along with residents 1000ft from shoreline. Committee was supplied a map with Tripp Lake shoreline residents along with residents 1000ft from shoreline. Motioned by Geoff Hale to incorporate the entire City in the creation of a Lakes District. Seconded by Kurt Zipp. Board discussion stated more education need to happen. No vote taken, motion failed. 9. Future Agenda Items b. Whitewater Stormwater Quality Management Plan 10. Adjournment c. Motioned by Geoff Hale at 6:00pm, unanimous voice Ayes: Carol McCormick, Elvira Kau, Ginny Coburn, Geoff Hale and Kurt Zipp Absent: Gayle Stettler Respectfully Submitted, Michelle Dujardin