News from the Rum River Watershed

Volume #2 Issue #3
May/June 2006
Fishing the Rum
Wetland and River Concerns in
Mille Lacs County and the northern
Rum River Watershed
Touring the Rum with Tom Waters and
Mark Riverblood
Contents:
• Awesome watershed map of Minnesota! (and North America, for that matter)
• Editor’s Note: Thinking ahead about Avian Flu.
• Excerpt from the Healthy Rivers CD: A Water Course
• 100-Year Flood or Not? By Tim Crocker
• The Big Picture: Last in a Series about Water Quality. By Mike Muellerr
• Minutes of “Friends of the Rum River”: new bimonthly meetings throughout the watershed!
• Mission/Vision Statement of the NRRW newsletter
• Signing up for the NRRW newsletter

Upcoming issues:
• July/August Issue: Lake Mille Lacs – The Source of the Rum
• September/October Issue: Anoka and Sherburne Counties Update

Awesome map of the major watersheds of Minnesota!

From the Healthy Rivers CD: A Waters Course
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Editor’s Note: Thinking Ahead About Avian Flu
What a great map on the first page, showing some of the major watersheds of our continent!
These three, the Mississippi River Basin, the Red River Basin, and the Great Lakes Basin/
St Lawrence Seaway are the ones that encompass Minnesota. They also encompass some of
the major migration routes on our continent for our fine-feathered friends.

Many of you, like myself, have been a bit concerned about what we’ve heard in the news about
a “pandemic” that may hit our shores within the next few months. Avian flu. I’ve been told that
the avian flu phenomena, which started in Asia, has spread north this past year through
migrating flocks of geese and other birds towards the Artic Circle and the Bering Straits. From
there they are mingling with birds from our continent, which are now heading back south,
towards us.

The major concern, of course, has been whether we will have enough vaccine to allay the
spread of this disease through the human population in the Americas. Will we be prepared for it
if and when it arrives?

That is a good concern, says Jim Rostberg, Director of Emergency Preparedness for Isanti
County. We need to plan ahead, and make sure we take all necessary precautions before a
potential disaster hits. That way a community won’t panic by trying to plan and act all at once. A
plan of action needs to be laid out ahead of time, both by our governing systems and on the part
of the community, and on an individual basis. What is being done in a community needs to be
communicated, so all know their role. That way when a disaster occurs, the preparation and
precautions have been taken, the planning has been done, and the action steps can be taken.

This is being done now for part of our region, covering Pine, Isanti, Chisago, Kanabec and Mille
Lacs Counties. This region is holding a drill at the Isanti County Fairgrounds Wednesday,
August 9th, from 8 am to 2 pm to highlight emergency preparedness. Designed to test our
response to a health emergency, “Operation Wayside Dispense” could use you! Call Kathy
Minkler at 763-689-4071 if you would like to take part in a fun activity with your family and see
how well Public Health will react if you, among others, bombard our health system.

This event will be followed up in mid-to-late September by an evening, open to the public, at the
Cambridge-Isanti High School auditorium, where two panel discussions will be held, and
questions answered. Not particularly for an avian flu disaster, but for any type of disaster,
including such natural disasters as tornados, floods, or hurricanes, or an attack on our shores.
One panel discussion will be with five representatives of the government at the local, county,
state and federal levels, representing such interests as health and security in the county. The
other panel discussion will include representatives from community groups representing various
interests that are also making plans to address these types of issues. (Exact date and time to be
announced – watch upcoming issues of NRRW and the papers.)

I have another concern about the avian flu hype, however. If you examine the news in other
parts of the world where avian flu has hit, there is a disturbing trend. That is, a trend to wipe out
bird populations that have been infected – not only flocks of infected chickens, but wild flocks of
geese, swans, and more. This is something we need to consider before the disease hits our
shores. Would it be a good thing to wipe out all birds? What would happen to the world’s
ecological balance? Would you miss going birding with binoculars, or out on a pheasant hunt?
Who would “swallow” those mosquitoes?

If this disease comes to Minnesota, we probably should consider whether or not to continue
filling our bird feeders while avian flu is in our area. Not only could it increase our risk of
infection slightly, but also birds of many species congregate at feeders, more than they do
naturally, so could pass it more easily among themselves. However, then we should make
temporary alternative plans for farmers and businesses that profit from the bird industry.
Hopefully someone is doing that already – who? Our government? You?
 3
I don’t believe that even if avian flu hits our shores, that it will wipe us out, or even the bird
populations. When a disease runs its course naturally, even when it becomes a pandemic, there
is always enough genetic variation within the target population that some portion of the
population survives. We can increase those odds for ourselves. However, let’s not decrease the
odds for the birds.

Our world’s balance may depend on it.

From the Healthy Rivers CD: A Water Course

Taken from “Healthy Rivers: A Water Course” interactive CD-ROM, 2004. Reprinted by
permission, Minnesota DNR.

In the last 25 years, scientists have gained new understanding of streams and the processes
that form them and sustain them. In ways we didn’t appreciate before, we realize that a stream
is a product of activities throughout its entire watershed. According to author and stream
scientist Thomas F. Waters, a stream is also an organism that has to be fed, it has to breathe,
and to have its metabolic wastes processed.

While each stream is unique, it shares common aspects of structure and process with other
streams around the world. Streams can be understood and characterized by five major
components:
• Flow of a stream, • Quality of a stream,
or Hydrology or Water quality
• Shape of a stream, • Life of a stream,
or Geomorphology or Biology
• Connections of a stream,
or Connectivity
These elements are not independent of each other, but rather continuously interact in a
myriad of relationships. For that reason, altering a single component—manipulating flow
through the construction of a dam, for example—can affect all other components in
unpredictable and often deleterious ways.

We will explore these five components separately to ease our ability to understand them,
but we know that in nature they do not operate separately or simply.

Flow of a Stream
In the context of stream dynamics, hydrology is the distribution and movement of water
through the stream and its floodplain and tributaries.
Water is the most obvious feature of the river. It is vital to life in the stream and the
nearby environment. Its movement provides the energy to shape the stream and its
surrounding landscape. Its unique physical properties—it floats when it turns to ice and
has an unusual ability to retain heat, for example—have important consequences to the
stream environment.

The hydrology of a river system determines the appearance and behavior of the stream
and its ability to support life and other processes and uses, including those that humans
depend on.
Most rivers are like perpetually flowing fountains. Where does the water come from? While
many ancients understood that precipitation fed streams, many thinkers during the Middle
Ages believed that water from the ocean traveled through the ground and fed the
headwaters of the world’s streams.

Now, we understand that precipitation through the hydrologic cycle feeds the world’s
streams. Water evaporates from the world’s oceans (and to a lesser extent, lakes and
streams) and via transpiration of plants. It falls from the atmosphere as rain or snow.
 4
Flowing over ground as runoff or underground as groundwater, water finds its way to a
stream and then eventually to the sea.

Why do rivers continue to flow, even when little or no rain has fallen? Much of the water
feeding a stream runs slowly underground through shallow aquifers. These sediments are
saturated like natural sponges and respond slowly to rainfall and drought.

A stream’s watershed (also called its basin or catchment) is the land area that drains into
that particular stream. As your point of reference moves downstream, the length of the
stream and the watershed feeding it grows in size.

As one stream joins another, the watershed jumps in size as two watersheds are joined.
Thus a watershed grows to great proportions. The watershed of the Mississippi River at its
mouth stretches from the ridge of the Appalachians to the east slope of the Rockies. It
drains all or parts of 31 states and two Canadian provinces—a total of 41 percent of the
continental United States (See map on page 1.)

One way of categorizing streams is by stream order. Most streams begin as springs or
boggy seeps of groundwater. Some flow from lakes without an inlet. These fledgling streams
are labeled first order. When a first order stream meets another first order stream, the
resulting flow is a second order stream.

The second order stream picks up additional first order streams, but remains second order.
Only when two second order streams meet is the result a third order stream.

As you might expect, there are vastly more small streams than large ones. In fact, there are
about four (4.4) times as many streams of one order than of the next higher order. First
order through third order streams make up about 85 percent of total stream miles in the
United States (Waters, 2000) and (Leopold et al., 1964).

How does stream order relate to size? As Thomas F. Waters notes in Wildstream, a first order
stream is a mere trickle, fishable only by kids. Fly-fishing anglers tangle their backcasts on
second or third order streams. Wading anglers and canoeists share fourth and fifth order
streams. Most U.S. streams sixth order or larger are dammed. The lower Mississippi, with large
tows of barges and even ocean freighters rates tenth order.

Join us in upcoming issues of NRRW for more details from the Healthy Rivers CD! For your own
copy, contact the MN Dept. of Natural Resources at www.dnr.state.mn.us/healthyrivers.
 5
.100-Year Flood Or Not? By Tim Crocker
DNR Area Hydrologist for Mille Lacs, Morrison and Todd Countiesaydrologist

When you hear the term 100-year flood, one may think it happens once every 100 years. This
may be true – then again, maybe not! The 100-year or regional flood is considered to be a flood
that has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year. Human influences in the watershed
such as: increased impervious surfaces, storm runoff, ditching, tiling, etc., have changed the
natural landscape. As a result the probability of floods of a 100-year frequency are more
frequent and of a larger magnitude. The last time floods of a regional magnitude occurred
throughout the state was in 2001. So, what is so important about the floodplain and the 100-
year flood?

The natural floodplain provides an important function in maintaining our waterways. It provides
overflow relief when a lake or river’s channel carrying capacity is exceeded. This form of
temporary storage helps collect debris during times of flooding and can filter storm runoff that
could otherwise adversely impact water quality. The floodplain also provides critical habitat for
wildlife and usually contains diverse vegetative species.

Alteration of the floodplain, especially for development, can be of great concern due to the
potential for flood damages to structures. This is where the 100-year flood concept enters into
the picture. If a person is interested in purchasing property, building or remodeling/adding on to
an existing structure, they need to evaluate the 100-year flood. Maps that contain approximate
delineations of the 100-year flood are available through your county planning & zoning offices,
city offices, or through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) map store on-line
at www.msc.fema.gov.

The maps illustrate a shaded area that constitutes the floodplain. In rural areas, the floodplain
generally depicted as “Zone A”, indicates minimal if any flood elevation information is available
(see Figure 1).

Figure 1 –
FIRM of Mille Lacs County Figure 2 – FIRM of City of Milaca

Areas with more concentrated development such as cities and the surrounding metro area more
often have detailed flood studies that accompany the maps. These maps contain cross-
sections with the 100-year flood elevations also known as base flood elevations (see Figure 2).

A person should always review the map prior to purchasing property or proceeding with a
building project. If the map indicates that the parcel is in or near the shaded zone, you should
proceed with the following steps:

1. Determine if map contains elevation information or if it is Zone A.

2. If no elevations are present, contact your local unit of government (i.e. city or county
planning & zoning) and area DNR Waters office to see if any flood elevation information
is available. Note: 100-year flood elevation information on bridge/culvert crossings may
 6
be available through your local county highway department for county roads, and the
Minnesota Department of Transportation for state roads and highways.
3. Hire a registered land surveyor to complete a survey of the parcel using the known 100-
year flood elevation. Elevations of the lowest floor (including basement) are required of
all structures as well with a Certificate of Compliance For Authorized Floodplain
Developments. This form provides evidence that the minimum floodplain requirements
have been met.
4. Submittal of all information to FEMA via a MT-EZ or MT-1 form to obtain a Letter of Map
Amendment (LOMA) or Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) is also required as proof for you
lender or bank that you meet all local, state and federal floodplain requirements. These
forms are available at:
www.dnr.state.mn.us/waters/watermgmt_section/floodplain/fema_forms.html

Difficulty arises when no 100-year flood elevation information is available. If that is the case, a
survey of the property and/or structure (Certificate of Elevation) is still required, along with any
supporting information, such as: Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and topographic quadrangle
map (elevation contour map) identifying the parcel/structure location. This information may be
submitted to FEMA for determination of the 100-year flood elevation for your parcel. Currently,
there is no charge from FEMA for this determination for a single lot residence. For subdivision
developments, there is a charge to determine the 100-year or base flood elevation. Private
consulting firms are fully capable of determining these elevations as well. The cost may be
higher, however, the turn around time may be faster.

Why is all of this necessary? In the spring of 2001, local initial damage assessments in
Minnesota as a result of spring flooding were $35 million. It is critical that we alleviate these
costs and damages by meeting the minimum floodplain requirements for development.
Furthermore, most lenders and insurance agencies now require flood insurance if your property
is located in or near the shaded areas on the floodplain maps. Reports indicate that the
average flood insurance policy in Minnesota is around $300 a year, although I have heard from
some folks who have quoted costs ranging from $1500-$2000 annually!

New approaches to floodplain management include creating updated digital maps for use by
local units of government and lending institutions to provide easier use and improved accuracy
of floodplain mapping. The new maps have the floodplain boundary laid over a digital air photo,
making determinations on whether your home is in our out of the floodplain much easier.

Digital Elevation Model (DEM) will be used where possible to increase map accuracy by utilizing
2-foot contours for the majority of the state. Current mapping utilized 10-foot contours to
delineate the floodplain. Updating the maps using DEM technology is very expensive. Due to
limited funds, some counties and communities have chosen to proceed with DEM on their own.

The state requires a minimum building elevation of the 100-year flood (plus one foot of
freeboard), bigger floods can and have occurred in Minnesota. One foot or more of freeboard is
added protection, but the safest approach to floodplain management is to build outside of the
floodplain.

The Big Picture: Last in a series about water quality by Mike Mueller
DNR Area hydrologist for Chisago, Kanabec and Isanti Counties, Mike Mueller concludes
his series on watershed dynamics.

In the last issue I wrote about ways that a homeowner can address water quality issues on an
individual property. Increasingly however, we need to look at the big picture regarding water
quality. That means trying to address issues within the watershed area for your lake. There are
a number of ways that we do this in Minnesota.

In the Metropolitan area, there are both watershed districts and water management
organizations established to manage water within a specific area. Watershed districts and
 7
WMO’s are a form of local government capable of enacting guidelines to control and manage
development, construct water control structures, make studies and monitor water within their
boundaries.

In greater Minnesota, there are watershed districts in some areas and there are a few Lake
Improvement Districts, but the majority of land is not organized by watershed. Which means
that “watershed management” is more than likely not on the list of services provided by your
county or city government. At least not to the degree that it is in the metro area.

Many counties have developed a local comprehensive water management plan, which identifies
water issues and outlines strategies to protect important water resources. County water plans
are normally administered through a joint effort of the county, soil and water conservation
districts and a number of state agencies. Funding for implementation of these plans was
severely cut by the legislature two years ago. Additional funding is often obtained through
grants or county levies, but the ability of water planning to address a specific watershed is
limited.

Increasingly, lake associations are taking it upon themselves to raise funds, most commonly
through charitable gambling efforts and grants. They are then able to conduct assessments of
their lakes and watersheds, identify specific sources of pollution and develop a plan to address
the problems.

Watershed management starts with a physical assessment of the watershed and most likely
includes some sort of monitoring of water as it moves from high point to the lake. Sort of like
making an inventory of what is present and how it is connected. Important habitats, aquatic
corridors, woodlands and land uses are mapped. A planning process follows to identify which
areas should receive priority. Strategies are designed to guide future development. Although
lake associations are able to implement changes solely with money they have raised, it is more
effective to use county or city zoning regulations to guide development, mandate erosion control
policies and preserve sensitive areas.

Starting a “watershed approach” planning effort is a daunting task for an individual. It is simply
much easier when a group of like-minded citizens share the burden. The first place to start is
with the lake association. Don’t have one? Start your own. You can get help from the
Minnesota Lakes Associations and others. Call your County and find out if they have a water
plan and who to contact for information. Check out the zoning codes for your county or city.
How do they manage land uses in your watershed? For that matter, how do you even know
what the watershed area is for your lake? Check with the DNR area hydrologist to see what
information may be available.

I think you’ll find that there is a great deal of information already available and there are
numerous local, state and federal agencies working on small pieces of the big picture. But
unless you live within a formal watershed district or management organization, it is unlikely that
there is a singular effort to address the specific needs of your watershed. Which is too bad,
because the best chance of success is to look at the big picture.

Minutes of the April 18 Meeting of the Friends of the Rum River

12 noon, Anoka Ramsey Community College, Cambridge Campus

Karen Evens of the MN Pollution Control Agency talked briefly about the Upper Mississippi
River Basin plan, and how it is coming along. She hopes that as focus groups in the Mille Lacs
Lake watershed and the rest of the Rum River watershed evolve, that they will identify
criticalissues that will be of help in planning policy and action.
 8
Mike Mueller, area hydrologist with the MN DNR for Isanti and Chisago Counties, discussed
the Wild/Scenic/Recreational status of the Rum River. In 1973 the Rum River was one of six
rivers in the state identified in this category. (Now there are seven.)

Mike believes that land use regulations need to be updated along the river, and zoning options
should be provided to allow more flexibility, in order to better relationships between local and
state governmental units.

We decided to put off the FRR canoe excursion from June 24th until the fall, and encourage
people to join with Anoka Co. Parks and Friends of the Mississippi River on their 11 mile
canoe jaunt on the Rum River through Anoka County on Saturday, July 22, from 10 am to
2 p.m. (Call Rhonda at Anoka Parks at 651-429-8007 to register.)

We discussed options for upcoming meetings of FRR. Bimonthly meetings in different parts of
the watershed were suggested. This was passed. Next meeting: Milaca. In August/September:
Anoka area. In October/November: back to Princeton/Cambridge.

Therefore: Next meeting of Friends of the Rum River: Saturday, June 24,
10 am – noon, Mille Lacs SWCD office, Milaca, MN. Free and open to the public.

"Pick out a good sitting log at

streamside; there is one every little way
on almost any creek or river. Pull the
canoe up on a sand bar, lay down the
fly rod, prop the shotgun in the crotch of
a bush…

The songs of several woodland birds I

recognized along favorite streams long
before I ever saw them or knew their
names. I like the evening sounds
best...” Come join us on the Rum on July 22!

Tom Waters, The Streams and Rivers

of Minnesota, 1977

Mission Statement: Come Canoe with Us!!

To provide a base of knowledge that we can use to make wise decisions
concerning the Rum River watershed.

Vision Statement

To improve our ability, both as part of the private and as part of the public sector, to care for the Rum
River watershed and all of the associated watersheds that make up the Mississippi River system.

Contact Information:
Kriste Ericsson, Editor, PO Box 82, Grandy, MN 55029
RumRiverWatershedNews-owner@yahoogroups.com

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