Anoka/Washington Judicial Ditch 4 Resource Management Plan and Proposed Rule RMP-2

The JD 4 resource management plan (RMP) applies to the drainage areas for the Anoka County Ditch 15 and Judicial Ditch 4 in the Rice Creek watershed. It may serve as a repair alternative for JD 4 and ACD 15, in the event that a repair is ordered by the Rice Creek Watershed District (RCWD). The existing ditch systems are described and compared to the official ditch elevations adopted by the RCWD. However, detailed data are referenced to existing and official profile memoranda prepared for the RCWD. As a ditch repair alternative, the RMP is compared to the No Action and Traditional Repair alternatives. The RMP is preferred for several reasons, but most importantly for avoiding wetland mitigation costs.

The RMP provides a watershed-based approach to wetland management that is consistent with RCWD goals. The approach uniquely addresses management in the context of wetland functions and the effects of anticipated future land use. Parts of this plan could be used to prepare a cumulative wetland effects assessment for Section 404 of the federal Clean Water Act. The approach is unique as a means to develop a comprehensive wetland management plan according to the State of Minnesota Wetlands Conservation Act, because it not only provides existing wetland functions and values, but forecasts future functions in light of anticipated land use, and watershed-based approaches for no net loss of wetland function.

The RMP serves as a companion to adoption of the JD 4 RMP Rule. The Rule provides standards intended to avoid land use effects that degrade wetland and aquatic resource quality. It also establishes the conditions for the RCWD to implement wetland permitting, wetland banking and volume banking programs in the JD 4 RMP area. The stormwater volume banking program is critical tool in meeting downstream TMDL goals and reducing flooding for this volume-constrained drainage system.

The plan is based upon a significant body of research and technical work that is summarized in this report and presented or described in detail via a series of appendices.