Reducing the decline in ground water quality and factors contributing to urban sprawl top the objectives of Portage County's Land and Water Resource Management Plan.
The intent of the Land and Water Resource Management Plan is "to promote wise use of the county's natural resources, resulting in a healthy economic environment while still protecting the county's natural resources for long term stability." The five-year plan would begin Jan. 1.
The Land Conservation Committee will forward its approved plan to the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection by Sept. 1 so the state Land and Water Conservation Board can act on it when it meets Oct. 5, County Conservationist Tim Victor said at a public hearing Monday, Aug. 3.
Seven main goals comprise the management plan:
• Reduce the decline in ground water quality due factors that are urban in nature.
• Reduce the decline in ground water quality due to factors that are rural in nature.
• Reduce factors that contribute to urban sprawl.
• Protect and restore shoreland, wetlands and uplands for wildlife habitat, water quality, and appropriate level of recreational use.
• Reduce wind erosion by 30 percent in five years.
• Remove Mill Creek from the Department of Natural Resources 303(D) list due to problems related to problems with surface water pollution.
• Provide accurate information about the state of the resources to all customers.
Because the goals and objectives set forth would be difficult for the limited Land Conservation Section staff to achieve, the plan seeks to form conservation partnerships enlisting cooperation between government agencies, private organizations and citizen groups. Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) will be developed between agencies and surrounding counties as needed to accomplish goals and define roles on mutually pertinent projects. MOUs will be developed between the LCC and private organizations to accomplish goals and enhance public image for both parties. Annual meetings will be held to review accomplishments and set new goals by assessing resources available to accomplish those goals.
The goals and objectives are the result of a countywide survey, said Linda Stoll, a consultant for the Land Conservation Section. A work group comprised of community organizations, agency and political representatives then met four times to develop the plan.
"One of the main problems citizens identified was urban sprawl," Stoll said.
Many of the goals include public information and education objectives.
"Participation from the Land Conservation Committee (LCC), as well as the citizens of Portage County, is absolutely critical to the implementation of this plan," according to the management plan's conclusion. "Limited financial and human resources will make the implementation of this plan a challenging endeavor. It is our hope that the next five years will be used as a stepping stone to an enlightened era of wise natural resource use by all."
The Mill Creek goal is at the request of the DNR, Victor said.
Objectives to meet that goal include coordinating with the Wood County Land Conservation Department to develop a comprehensive watershed plan for Mill Creek, maintain and enhance present wetland quality to help stabilize peak flows within Mill Creek and other creeks, protect areas in the Mill Creek wetlands that are not already developed and educate the public.
Because of the heavy soils in the northwest part of the county, Mill Creek has flashy runoff and low biotic indexes, according to an executive summary. The central sand plain has light soils, with high ground water contamination and unacceptable wind erosion rates. The eastern third of the county is a moraine and inter-moraine area with high ground water potential and low to high water erosion rates.