Local lakes removed, added back to DNR 'outstanding' list

Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) are calling for input on water quality designations for waterbodies throughout the state at a meeting scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. in Mahan Hall at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory.

As a result of a series of meetings held December 2008 through March 2009, several Dickinson County lakes were to become protected under antidegradation regulations designed to maintain and protect high quality waters and existing water quality in other waterbodies from unnecessary pollution.

"Right now West Lake has some of the best water quality in Iowa," said John Wills, Clean Water Alliance Coordinator. "Without antidegradation we could technically add pollution to West Lake Okoboji because of standards set by the Iowa DNR."

To be designated as an Outstanding Iowa Water (OIW) -- the highest level of protection barring the designation of Outstanding National Resource Water -- a lake, river or stream must be of exceptional recreational or ecological significance and currently have a high quality of water.

The four-tier approach to water quality replaces the former High Quality and High Quality Resource class system. Tier 1 protects existing uses, tier 2 puts economic and social factors into place before issuing permits, tier 2.5 identifies and protects well-known Iowa waters and tier 3 identifies and protects waters in national and state parks.

Local and statewide environmental groups, especially those dedicated to water quality, have been hard at work raising public awareness of the OIW list and are encouraging those interested to weigh in on the situation.

"We have advocated since the beginning of the antidegradation process that - No. 1 - we need the category Outstanding Iowa Waters - and No. 2 - we have many waters in the state that should be designated as such," said Marian Riggs Gelb, Iowa Environmental Council Executive Director.

The issues

The DNR originally proposed seven Iowa lakes to be designated as Outstanding Iowa Waters - Big Spirit, West Okoboji, East Okoboji, Lower Gar, Upper Gar, Minnewashta and Dalton - six of which are in Dickinson County.

Opposition

Adam Schnieders, Environmental specialist with the Iowa DNR, explained the reasoning behind the removal of the Iowa Great Lakes from the OIW list presented to the Environmental Protection Commission (EPC), which oversees and approves the process.

"The EPC wanted everything on the High Quality Resource and High Quality waters lists included on the Outstanding Iowa Waters list," he explained.

The Iowa Great Lakes chain was left off a proposal to the commission, which then tentatively added it back to the OIW list.

"We still have a desire for comments on these individual lakes," Schnieders continued. "We're getting people aware of it and wanting to get some comments on the waters now. We're hoping to get those answers Sept. 3."

According to Wills, several organizations are against designating the Iowa Great Lakes chain as OIWs - specifically the League of Cities and the Farm Bureau.

"The League of Cities is opposing this - it believes it would be an undue burden on cities," he said. "They're fearful cities would have a lot more cost in waste treatment. It's a financial concern... and if we include lakes in the Iowa Great Lakes maybe someday Storm Lake or Clear Lake would join the list."

With high hopes of expanding Lakes area communities, limiting water treatment facility expansions became a hot topic.

"Folks saw this as not allowing communities to expand at all due to wastewater expansion issues," Schnieders explained.

Clarification

Debate on the definition of an Outstanding Iowa Water reached the legislature this past session.

"As the legislature worked through the (OIW) list, it became clear that it needed to be revised to make it more accurate for waters that are truly outstanding," Schnieders stated. "So the list was limited initially and presented to the EPC."

The Iowa Great Lakes waterbodies were not included on this version of the Outstanding Iowa Waters list, leaving the chain without the high level of protection from diminishing water quality.

"When we discussed the Iowa Great Lakes we felt that certain lakes may not have met the requirements to be Outstanding Iowa Waters," explained Schnieders. "The decision was made not to include the lakes, to instead seek comments about them as individual lakes, and the move was made to not have them on the list to draw the public's attention."

Although the Clean Water Alliance has no official stance on whether or not to include the entire chain of lakes under the current OIW definition, Wills believes at least some of them meet the requirements.

"West Lake, Big Spirit and possibly other lakes fall into qualifications," Wills said. "They're economically important for the region and the state of Iowa, but they're all part of the same system."

Moving forward

The Iowa DNR welcomes public comments on whether or not to include individual Dickinson County lakes on the OIW list, encouraging those interested to write, call or formally make their opinion heard at the September meeting.

"We're not going to degrade anything further than what it's been degraded," Riggs Gelb stated. "The best way to protect those resources in Dickinson County further is to have them designated as Outstanding Iowa Waters. That listing would give them the tools for the protection they need to have."

Wills also encouraged members of the public to make their stance on water quality heard.

"The public can always contact the EPC (Environmental Protection Committee) or the DNR where they can make public comments," Wills said. "On Sept. 3 there is a meeting at Lakeside Lab. Make an appearance - those comments weigh pretty heavily with the DNR."

The Iowa Environmental Council agreed, asking for public support.

"We felt very confident that in particular West Okoboji should be designated - if not all of the lakes," said Riggs Gelb. "What kind of message does it send if we say we don't have any outstanding Iowa waters?"

The meeting was originally scheduled for the Waitt Building of Iowa Lakeside Lab but was moved to Mahan Hall to allow for a larger crowd.

* Public comments can be e-mailed to Adam Schnieders at adam.schnieders@dnr.iowa.gov, postmarked to Adam Schnieders, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Wallace State Office Building, 502 East 9th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319-0034 or faxed to him at (515) 281-8895.

---

Antidegradation meeting

What: The DNR is holding a meeting on water quality standards.

When: Thursday, Sept. 3 at 6 p.m.

Where: Mahan Hall at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory

Why: Officials need to gather public opinion on water quality standards in Iowa to decide on how to best protect the natural resource. The Iowa Great Lakes were removed from the "Outstanding Iowa Waters" list, then tentatively added back following revisions.

---

The Antidegradation tiers

Tier 1: Protect Existing Uses -- Permits no activity that would eliminate, interfere with or lower the water quality necessary to support the existing use (example: swimming, fishing, drinking water) of the waterbody.

Tier 2 -- Where the water quality is better than the minimum water quality criteria, that level of quality must be maintained and protected unless a review of reasonable alternatives and social and economic considerations justifies the degradation.

Tier 2.5: Outstanding Iowa Waters (OIW) -- Where high quality waters constitute an outstanding state resource, such as waters of exceptional recreational or ecological significance, that water quality shall be maintained and protected at its current high quality level. However, an exception may be made for permanent new or expanded pollution sources that, "overall, serve to maintain or enhance the value, quality, or use of the OIW." Prior to allowing exceptions, the Iowa DNR will work with the project applicant to identify the least degrading alternative. For example, a new or expanded source of pollution from a wastewater treatment facility associated with a visitor center may be authorized where reasonable non-degrading or less degrading treatment alternatives are not available.

Tier 3: Outstanding National Resource Waters -- Where high quality waters constitute an outstanding national resource, such as waters of National and State parks, that water shall be maintained and protected at its current high quality level. Any proposed activity that would result in a permanent new or expanded direct source of pollutants is strictly prohibited.