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1976-01 Shoreland Mgmt Classification Sys for Public Waters $~~~~4~~~~\~~~~.'~f"~~~~~~ c a:.ASS,'F::'C."".TIQ/N: S YS' TEM .., "f""''''' .,.,.'....0,..., ", ' ,,4"" '.. .. . '. ."~.". t'.'.,Iftii."l".';-,' :;.:~t:,;"t~::'...~...'..... <." :::i~R.';........:.....{.S........,;.,.,..;.; r U 8 t.l,~. .'liE.. ....' <'f" .- '," -'; , -:::",.' . , ~:.:.,~~-,~_/,.~ SUI< , '~'R" 'r. . ~." i. .,., .:".-.: " . ::~ '':: 'J;''''~;:''<';::;:-\ ',- " ',_.'.' ;\ ,~.: '.T*~~. . "' .,.'...,~l::,~0;._-'.~~0%'f'::~-' a.ft.'Iar y D E PAR 1'1i'1I'~:IIO~F 6>1 .~ ~ 'ci*'.i}~~~~t>r;it<€,~~lt~!fl ~ e - I. INTRODUCTION A delicate relationship exists between a lif~supportinglake or river and the natural setting of the adjacent shoreland. This relationship can be drasti- cally affected by man's activities. Failure to properly use our shoreland resources will inevitably lead to a deterioration of the total lake environment and will drastically diminish the recreational and aesthetic amenities sought and valued by a large segment of Minnesota's citizens. The recognition of this delicate relationship led to the enactment of the ShorelandManagement Act. The Shoreland Management Act is actually two separate pieces of legislation. The original act (Laws of Minnesota 1969, Chapter 777) was passed by'the 1969 session of the legislature in order to provide guidance for the wise development of shorelands in unincorporated areas. During the 1973 session o~ the legisla- ture, the original Shoreland Management Act was amended to also include munici- palities (Laws of Minnesota 1973, Chapter 379). Basically, the Shoreland Management Act requires the Depar1:ment of Natural Resources to promulgate regulations under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 105 which shall be implemented through county and municipal land use controls (i.e. zoning ordinances). The intent of the act is to provide local units of government with minimum dimensional and performance standards in order to protect and enhance the quality of our surface waters and conserve the economican~natural resource values of the shorelands of public waters. Since public waters in Minnesota vary widely in character and use, an optimum balance between resource utilizati.onand resource protection can be obtained only if each lake has development standards tai1or~ to it. This, un- fortunately,is virtually impossible in Minnesota with over 12,000 lake basins! lExcludes dry lake basins from Bulletin No. 25, "An Inventory of Minnesota Lakes." e e e that are capable of some type of public use. For this reason a public waters classification system was incorporated into the Statewide Standards and Criteria for Mana~ement of Shoreland Areas of Minnesota~ officially adopted June 30, 1970: CONS 71 (a) PUBLIC WATERS CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM The. ci.aJ.>.6i6.ic.a.,tum .6Y.6t.em 601l. pubUc wa..teJL6 .6ha.U. be. baJ.> e.d upon :the. .6 uli:.a..b.{U;ty 06 each l.a.k.e. Oil. .6:t1te.a.m 6oll. 6u.tuJte. Oil. addLtWnai. de.vdopme.nt. and :the. duhta..ble. le.vd 06 de.vdopme.nt.. The classification system recognizes th~ varied nature of Minnesota lakes. It is flexible enough to insure that development standards for any particular body of water will reflect the unique qualities of the ,resource. CONS 71 (a) (1) The. ci.a.6.6i6.<.ca..tion .6y.6t.e.m 06 pubUc wa..teJL6 .6ha...U. COn6i.6t. 06 Na.;tuJz.a.,t Envbc.orune.n,t La..ku and S:tIte.a.m6, Re.CJte.a..tionat Ve.vdopme.nt. tafl.u, Ge.neJta.l Ve.vdop- me.nt. Lak.u and S:tItea..m6, and CJr1.tic.ai. Lak.u. To simplify the administration of this program a shoreland management classification system with three categories was selected. A fourth temporary designation of "critical lake" was intended for a lake which did not clearly fall into one of the three classes. The public waters included in the initial classification for the unincorporated areas consisted of all lakes, ponds and flowages having a basin acreage of 25 acres or more and all rivers and streams having a total drainage area of two square miles or more. When the 1969 Shore- land Management Act was amended to include municipalities, all lakes, ponds and flowages having a basin acreage of 10 acres or more and all rivers and streams having a total drainage area of two square miles or more within munic- ipalities were classified.3 2Rules and Regulations of the Department of Conservation, Chapter Six, State- wide Standards and Criteria for Management of Shoreland Areas of Minnesota. 3The classification excluded lakes completely within the Red Lake Indian Reservation and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. -2- ~ Goals and Objectives The primary goal of the classification system is to designate lakes and streams into classes which will provide a balance between general public use and resource protection. The goals are more explicitly stated in the statewide standards: CONS 71 (a) (2) Management Goa.l.6 and Obje.w.ve..6 (aa) Na.:tl..l!l.a.i. Env.uumme.nt Lak.e..6 a..nd S-Ole.a..m6: tfJ pll.e..6 eJLve aM enhanc.e high quaLUy wa..te1L6 by pJtO-te.c..Ung -them 6Jtom poUution and tfJ plto-te.c.t .6 ho ll.e1.a.n.d6 0 n wa..te1L6 whic.h Me UYL6 uli:.a.ble nOll. developmentj tfJ ~n a low de.YL6Uy On devei.opme.nti aM tfJ mUn..tai.n high .6:ta.nc1aJr.d6 On qu.a.U.:ty 60ll. peJUnU.te.d de.vei.opme.nt. The Natural Environment classification is intended for those waters which need a significant amount of protection because of their unique natural 4It characteristics or their unsuitability for development and sustained recreational use. They will be assigned the most restrictive development standards. (bb) Re.c.Jte.a.:tiorr.a.R.. VeveR..opment La.k.e& and S.tJt.e.am6: tfJ plto vide ma.nag ement poUcA..e..6 ll.eal.> 0 YUtbly c.oYl.6L6-tent wlih exi6;Ung devei.opment and u.6 e.j -to pJtOvide 60ll. -the bene~ U.6 eOn pubUc. wa..te1L6 by -the genetta1. pubUc., a.6 we11. a.6 -the Jvi.pa.IVia.n owneJL6 j tfJ pJtOvide a balanc.e. between -the tak.e ll.e..6ouILc.e and tak.e. U.6ej tfJ pJtOvide 6oll. a mu1;t{.pUcLty On ta.k.e u.6e..6i a..nd :to pJtO- -teet Meal.> UYL6 u..i.:ta..ble nOll. ll.e..6ide.nti.ai. a..nd c.ommeJLcia.R.. u.6e..6 6Jtom devei.opment. The Recreational Development classification is intended for those waters which are capable of absorbing additional development and recreational use. They are usually lightly to moderately developed at present. They will be assigned an intermediate set of development standards. e (c.c.) Genetta1. Vevei.opment Lak.e..6 and S-Olearn6: -to pll.o vide mUtimwn ll.egu1.a.ti.o n6 0 6 Meal.> plte..6 e.n-tf.y devei.oped a.6 high deYl.6Uy, mu..U.<.pR..e U.6e. MeaI.>j -3- e e e and t:.o plW vide gtUda.nc.e. nOIL nu.:twte. glWwth 0 n c.ommeJLc).a1. and indUldM..a.i. ut.a..bWhme.nt6 whic.h ILe.quhc.e loc.a..t<.on6 on pubUc. wa..teJL6. The General Development classification is intended for those bodies which are at present highly developed or which, due to their location, may be needed for high density development in the future. They will be assigned the least restrictive set of development standards. (dd) CJU;ti.c.ai. Laku: t:.o pILOvide a mOILe ILUtM.ctive. .6 e;t 06 .6t.a..nda.Jr.cL6 nOIL ba.df.y de;teJLi..oJr.a..t.ed la..ku whic.h c.anl1Ot be ILe.a..6onably managed in any o~ the pubLi.c. wa..teJL6 ci.a.6.6U de6ine.d above. Thelle. la..ku, duigYUtted by the Corrmi..6.6i.oneJr., .6ha.U. be .6:tucU.ed in nuJLtheJL de.taft t:.o de;teJUni.ne. appILo pJUa;te .6t.a..tulaJu:L6 nOIL .6hoILei.a.nd devei.opne.n;t 60IL e.a.c.h .<.ncU.vidU4l la..ke. Until. .6u.c.h .6:tucU.ell lVLe c.omple;ted, thelle. la..ku .6~ be. .6ubje.c;t t:.o the. .6t.a..n.d.tvc.d6 appUed to Na..twr.ai. Envhwnme.n;t Lakell a..nd StJtea.m6. The Critical designation was intended for those waters which required further study to determine a satisfactory management program. These waters have peculiar physical or developmental characteristics which set them apart from other lakes. II. THE CLASSIFICATION PROCESS . Criteria The most critical task in developing a classification system is to ensure reliability of the criteria selected for the classification process. These criteria must accurately reflect the physical and cultural characteristics of each body of water, and they must provide the means for analyzing bodies of water -4- e e - and grouping them into appropriate categories. CONS 71 (a) (3) CweJUa. 60Jl. de.telt.mi..u.ng the ci.a.6.6i6ic.a:Uon 06 any pubUc wateJl .6hctU. be: ((1(1) Size - Jtela...ting to avcU.table .6pace 60Jt de.ve1.opment on the .6hoJte and 60Jt Me 06 the wateJl .6 pace. ( bb ) CJtowcUng Potenti.a.i. - Jtela...ting to the ~ 0 n la..ke .6Wt6ace IVLea.. :to the length 0 n .6hoJteUne. (cc) Amount a.nd type 06 exM:ting deve1.opment. ( dd) ExM:ting na.:tuJta.l cha.M.c:teJU.6:tic..6 06 the. pubUc wateJL6 and .6 UlVtouncU.ng .6 hoJte1..a.ncl6 . (ee) County and Jtegional pubUc wateJL6 ne.ed.6. Additional criteria were considered when classifying public waters in municipal areas. NR 82 (6) (1) ((1(1) Th0.6e wateJL6 who.6e. .6hoJtu IVLe plLuentty cha.Jt- ac:teJr1.ze.d by indU6tJU.ai., commeJlUai. OJt high de.n6Uy Jtu.w.enti.a.i. deve1.opment .6ha..U. be ci.a.6.6i6ie.d GeneJtal Veve1.opme.nt. ( bb ) Tho.6 e wateJL6 who.6 e .6 hOJtu IVLe pJtu entty cha.Jt- ac:teJr1.ze.d by mecUum den6.uy Jtu.w.e.n;tiaf. devel- 0pment wUh OJt wUhoLLt Umited .6eJlvice-01Li.ented corrrneJlUai. deve1.opment .6hctU. be ci.a.6.6i6.<.e.d. a.6 Re.CJtea.;t..i..onal Veve1.opment. ( cc) Tho.6 e waXeJL6 who.6 e .6 hoJtu IVLe plLU e.ntty cha.Jt- ac:teJr1.ze.d. by low den6.uy, .6ingle - 6a.mU.y Jtuidenti.a.i. deve1.opment .6ha.Le. be ci.a.6.6i6ie.d. a.6 Na..:twr..a..t EnvVw nme.nt. (dd) Th0.6e waXeJL6 whoie .6hoJtu IVLe not ye.t de.n6e1.y deve1.oped, .60 :tha.:t the 6utulte cha.Jta.c:teJL 06 the wa..teJl i.6 a 1W1tieJl 06 cho.ic.e, .6ha11.. be ci.a.6.6i6ie.d. a.6 eLtheJl Na..:twr..a..t EnvVw nme.nt OJt ReCJte.a..:U.onal Veve1.opme.nt, de.pe.ncUng on: (i) ExM.ting YLa.:tuJr.ai. cha.Jta.c:teJU.6:tiC6 06 the wa..teJL6 and .6hoJte1..a.ncl6; (U) The. abliUy 06 the waXeJL6 and adjacent .6hoJte1..a.nd6, ba.6ed on .6ize and CJtOwcUng potenti.a.i., to accept wUhoLLt duigna..- -5- e Uon, me.cU.um den6.U:.Y .6holLei.a.nd. devel.op- men.t; ( ill) S;bU;e, lLeg,to nal , eo un:ty and. mu.nici.pal plan6 ; (,tv) E ilifug land U6 e ILU:tM.d1..o n6 . 4 Size and shape are important indicators of the capability of a body of water to absorb additional development and recreational use. Larger lakes will not deteriorate as rapidly as small ones when developed, due to a larger volume of water and a greater likelihood of some portions of the lake remaining unde- veloped. Irregularly shaped lakes have a greater proportion of miles of shore- line to water area than large round ones. This ratio of shoreline to acreage is called crowding potential and is a good indicator of potential developmental problems. When the shoreline of a lake with high crowding potential is completely developed, utilization of available water space will be greater than on a lake e with a low crowding potential. This ratio is an important factor in determining how much development pressure a lake can absorb. Existing development was weighted heavily in the classification process, since legal constraints dictate a reasonable correlation between newly adopted zoning controls and the existing pattern of development. For example, strict lot size and setback requirements might be unreasonable if applied to a heavily developed lake. Existing development for a lake is measured by average density of dwellings per mile of shore. Classification must also be based upon the physical characteristics of the shoreland areas. Factors such as soil types, vegetative cover, on-shore land slope, off-shore lake bed slope and ecological classification (previously deter~ mined by the Division of Fish and Wildlife) can be used as indicators of the - 4Rules and Regulations of the Department of Natural Resources, Chapter Six, Standards and Criteria for the Management of Municipal Shoreland Areas of Minnesota. -6- - e e suitability of the shoreland areas for future development. Many areas around shallow lakes have soils that are unsuitable for building sites or soil absorp- tion sewage treatment systems. Often times, shallow lakes with gently sloping shoreland areas have the groundwater level very near the ground surface. The statewide shoreland management standards preclude construction of soil absorption units in areas where the groundwater level will be less than four (4) feet from the bottom of the proposed system. They also stipulate that the lowest floor of any building constructed in shoreland areas must be at least three (3) feet above the highest known water level. Management considerations cannot be based solely upon characteristics of an individual body of water. They must also consider the waters in a state, regional, county and municipal context. The demand for shoreland is greater in areas where population pressures are high, or where improved highways make formerly isolated areas more accessible. Individual municipal, county and regional public water needs must be considered in determining a shoreland management classification. Careful resource management plans insure steady economic growth in stride with increased recreational demand, while still preventing resource deterioration. The classification system, therefore, had to be carefully structured. It has to take into account the physical capability of a public water to assimilate increased development and use. It had to account for the intensity of existing use patterns and development densities, and it had to consider the resource in a regional context. Data Sources The primary data resource for the classification was the Lakeshore Develop- ment Study, conducted by the Department of Geography, University of Minnesota. This study was an inventory of the physical and cultural characteristics of most of Minnesota's lakes with development potential. The study included all lakes -7- e e - 150 acres or larger which were not comple~ely within publicly owned land or the seven county metropolitan area. The basic data unit was the government lot (less than 40-acre parcel adjoining a lake). Records of the Division of Waters and the Division of Fish and Wildlife supplied technical and biological information to supplement the Lakeshore Study. These records contained such data as water levels, locations of spawning beds, lake bottom contours, median lake depths, water quality, fish counts and loca- tions of control structures. Other sources consulted for additional information included the Metropolitan Lake Inventory prepared by the Division of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps, air photos, U.S. Forest Service Maps, Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Commission land ownership maps and Department of Highways general county highway maps. Field surveys were made in those cases where information was not available on a lake or stream within DNR or other agency files. Critical Values Critical "cutoff" values for the classification criteria were determined by statistical analysis. Some of the criteria did not lend themselves to statis- tical analysis, such as soils information or ecological type. They required subjective evaluation. Development density cutoffs were determined by a frequency distribution which listed, in order, the average development density values for lakes. This list was then plotted and the frequency curve analyzed for natural breaks. By comparing these breaks with existing development patterns, the following limits for the three lake classes were determined; CLASSIFICATION Natural Environment Recreational Development General Development VEVELOPMENT VENSITY (dweLUng.6 peJr. mile) less than 3 3 - 25 greater than 25 - 8 - . . e Crowding potential cutoff values were determined in a similar manner. The resultant values are as follows: CLASSIFICATION CROWVING POTENTIAL (aC/te..6 06 wa..teJL peJL mUe. 06 .6 holte) Natural Environment less than 60 (high) Recreational Development 60 - 225 (medium) General Development greater than 225 (low) (Note: Crowding potential was not used exclusively in the detennination of lake class. It was used concurrently with the other criteria and given priority only in cases of a low development density.) Lake Depth and Ecological Class were used to isolate lakes unsuitable for shoreland development. Two ecological classes, Winterkill-Roughfish and Bullhead-Panfish, are indicative of lakes displaying poor development character- istics. These ecological classes usually have some or all of the following characteristics: shallowness, eutrophic conditions, heavy aquatic vegetative growth, low dissolved oxygen levels, and shallow groundwater table. Lake depth of less than 15 feet and ecological class of Winterkill-Roughfish or Bullhead- Panfish were used to determine Natural Environment Lakes. The idea is to establish strict development standards to discourage devel- opment in areas where many potential development problems exist. Due to the shallow nature of these lakes, recreational opportunities may be somewhat limited. These lakes are often more suited for waterfowl and game production than for recreational uses. Emergent vegetation can often limit surface recrea- tional use, such as boating or swimming. Heavy use by large motors on shallow lakes may also cause unnecessary stirring of bottom sediments which can recycle large amounts of nutrients back into the lake system. -9- . Soils and Vegetation data for the shoreland areas were also used in lake class determination. Soils are closely related to natural vegetation and topographic conditions. This information was applied subjectively when the four preceeding criteria alone did not determine a category for a particular lake. Soil types are an important indication of lakeshore quality and suita- bility for development. Their occurrence often dictates the placement of buildings and soil absorption sewage treatment systems. These physical char- acteristics were considered in the classification process in the following manner: CLASSIFICATION VOMINANT SOIL GROUP VEGETATION SLOPES NE Wet, Clay or Bedrock No Trees or Shrubs Flat RD or GD Sand, Loam Decidious or Coniferous Trees t.t>derate to Steep . These determinations were based upon engineering capabilities of the soil types and land slopes. Here again, the attempt was made to limit development in unsuitable areas. III. RESULTS OF THE CLASSIFICATION Approximately 10,200 lake basins and approximately 25,000 miles of rivers and streams in the state were classified under the shoreland management program. Almost 9,700 of these basins were classified for the county program and over 500 were added in the municipal program. Since the amount of information avail- ~ able was not constant for all bodies of water, the classification process had -10- e . - to be adjusted to allow for a subjective determination in some cases. County Lakes Every lake basin in unincorporated areas between 25-150 acres was classified as Natural Environment, unless development was detected. The detailed amount of data available for large lakes was not available for smaller lakes. By nature of their size, these lakes are highly susceptible to overcrowding. Therefore, the decision was made to initially classify them in a restrictive category. When development already existed on these lakes (information obtained from county highway maps), they were classified as Recreational Development. For lakes over 150 acres in size, the data processing technique was used to place each lake in an appropriate class. Table I indicates the relative weight assigned to each criterion in the classification process. For a lake to be classified as a Natural Environment lake, it had to meet all of the values of column 1: very little development and high crowding potential (under 60 acres of water surface per mile of shoreline). Since these lakes are highly suscep- tible to overcrowding and since they are undeveloped or lightly developed at present, they were afforded a greater degree of protection under the shoreland regulations. A lake was also classified Natural Environment if its physical character- istics were conducive to developmental problems. Lakes with all of the values of column 2 are probably more suitable for waterfowl or game management purposes than for lakehome development and were classified accordingly. If a lake had between 3 and 25 dwellings per mile of shoreline "it was placed in the Recreational Development class (column 3). Here development density was the weighted factor. A lake that is developed to a density greater than three dwellings per mile was not classified as Natural Environment since Natural Environment standards might conflict with the existing development. Areas that -11- e I 1Il 1Il .-4 ;j CI) CI) "t:l .-4 0 1Il~ s::l. fa 1Il =41 ..-i 1-1 s: ..-i ;j ell 0 tlO~ ell 0 .I<: 0 ell"C o 1-1 .-4 = 0 ..c= 1-1 O..-i 1-1 CI) 1Il ~ tI') ..-i CI) ~ 1Il 1-1 C1)..c= I p.. .-4 U CI) "C = .-4C1)= CI) CI) ~1Il"C CI) C1)41 o s::l. ell ell 1Il \.U = .-4 .-4 ..-i 1-1 1-1 p.. =..-i ell..c= L/') CI) 1-1 "C ..-i s: CI) CI) s: :=::[ \0 CI) CI) ..-i .-4 CI) U ..-i 41 CI) 1Il .-4"C 0 = CI) = 1-1 ell c::.. 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O~ 1Il \.U e~ = ..-i ..-i U CI) t/) ell 1-1 ~I- p.. ..-i ..-i ~ tlO ..-i Q ~ CI) ::z- o 1Il "C= o~ CI) CI) ..s:: ~~ ..-l = ~ CI) ..-l ..-i CI) 1-1 tlO +.I e CI) CI) O~ o 1Il ..IoC 0 ~ 0 >Q 1-1 0 U 1Il ell .t:: CI) UQ., u.:l ell ....:l U) Q ..-l cC U e e e require added protection on these lakes may be regulated by land use zoning controls applied to the specific area. A lake with less than three (3) dwellings per mile of shoreline was also classified as Recreational Development if it was suitable for development (column 4); sufficient depth to support game fish (over 15 feet deep and not a winterkill-roughfish or bullhead-panfish lake), sand or loam soil (clay in some instances) and coniferous or decidious forest cover. General Development standards provide for the least restrictive land use controls and are intended for highly developed, multi-use lakes. Lakes which have average development densities greater than 25 dwellings per mile were designated as General Development (column 5). Lakes which are developed to this level usually do not have much remaining land for development. Thus, the application of more restrictive zoning controls would do little to remedy lake deterioration. In some cases, however, lakes which are not highly developed were classified as General Development if the lake is physically capable of absorbing substantial future development (column 6). The most important criterion was a low crowding potential. This factor indicates that the lake probably is not susceptible to overcrowding. Lakes such as Winnibigoshish, Leech, Mille Lacs, and Red are examples which meet this criterion. They do not have very high average develop- ment densities at present, and by nature of their size and shape are capable of supporting greater development densities than would be afforded under a Recreational Development classification. Seven (7) lakes were unclassifiable due to special development or environmental problems. These lakes were termed Critical and designated for further study before a final set of development standards was applied. A cursory review showed that most of these lakes had long standing water quality problems. The lakes were generally shallow, and occasional winterkills cause fish management problems. They -12- e e e were usually highly developed. Since the shoreland management program is limited to the use of land use controls, little can be accomplished in terms of redevel- opment or remedial actions. Proximity to Municipalities Most county lakes bordering upon a municipality were classified as General Development. This decision was based upon the assumption that shoreland was needed for urban uses, as well as recreational uses and the fact that the county does not have jurisdiction over municipal areas in applying land use controls. Municipal Lakes Lake basins lying within or bordering on municipalities were classified in the same manner as those basins classified in the county phase of the shoreland management program. For many of these lakes, a classification had already been assigned under the county shoreland management program. These classifications were retained in order to maintain continuity. For the lakes that were found to be within one or several municipalities, data were collected on existing development, crowding potential and the other criteria used to help classify the lakes in the county program. These data were then analyzed using the same technique as summarized in Table I. Rivers and Streams The state does not yet have a complete stream inventory. MOst rivers and streams were placed in the General Development category to be reasonable in formulating a sound and workable program. Streams continually regenerate them- selves, so they do not pose as critical a problem of water quality as do lakes. The exceptions to our stream classification were wild and scenic waterways and designated trout streams. These exceptions are not unreasonable, since these streams have been recognized by governmental agencies as waters worthy of pres- -13- e ervation and since easements along these streams are usually purchased. Preliminary Distribution The percentages of lakes under the county program, by lake class were: Natural Environment - 85%; Recreational Development - 12%; and General Develop- ment - 3%. The Natural Environment category is inflated because the small lakes were summarily placed in this category. If lakes under 150 acres are excluded, the percentages are: Natural Environment - 48%; Recreational Development - 42%; and General Development - 10%. The percentages of lakes added under the municipal shoreland program, by lake class were: Natural Environment - 57%; Recreational Development - 33%; and General DevelQpment - 10%. A tabulation of the results of the preliminary classification, by county and municipal phases of the shoreland management program, is shown in the appendix. e IV. APPLICATION TO SHORELAND MANAGEMENT e Review of Prelimnnary Classification The shoreland management program is intended to be a locally administered and enforced program. The public waters classification, along with the statewide standards, sets the basic framework for local administration. Due to certain time limitations, the classification had to be completed in a short period of time. The Division could not possibly gather the amount of information needed to classify all lake basins, especially small lakes, consistent with local land use management programs. For these reasons the classification by the Division was intended to be preliminary. Each county and municipality should review its -14- e e e Reclassification Minnesota Regs. CONS 71(a) (5) and NR 82(f) (4) allow the Commissioner of -15- e e e Natural Resources to reclassify any public water as he deems necessary. Generally, the decision to change the shoreland management classification of a public water is initiated by a request from the local unit of government in which the body of water is located. It is the established policy of the DNR to only consider a request for the reclassification of a public water body when such a request is submitted in the form of an official resolution of the County Board of Co~ssioners, City Councilor Local Planning Commission. In addition to the official request, the local unit of government should also supply as much of the following data as possible: 1. Crowding potential 2. Development density 3. Percent of shoreland in public ownership 4. Number of existing undeveloped platted lots S. Shoreland physical characteristics (soil and vegetation types, slope, etc.) With this additional data, the official requests for shoreland management re- classification will be referred to DNR regional shoreland management personnel. The regional staff will evaluate the request and make the final determination. Once the preliminary classification has been finalized, the local unit of government may then proceed to develop its shoreland management ordinance. Land Use Zoning As prescribed in CONS 7l(b) and NR 83(a) and (b), local units of government are required to delineate land use districts or zones for shoreland areas which are compatible with the designated shoreland management classification. These land use zoning districts shall be established to provide for: (1) Management 06 Meal.> UYL6uLta.ble 60IL development due to phY.6ic.a.f. c.haJr.- a.c.:teJLi6:ti.c..6 and the management 06 Meal.> 06 u.rvi.que na.tuJLa.l a.nd biologic.a.f. c.haJr.a.deJLi6:ti.c..6 in ac.c.OIl.da.nc.e wUh c.ompa.:ti.ble u.6 e..6 . ( 2) The ILe..6 eJLvaUo n 06 Meal.> .6 ldta..ble 60IL ILe..6.<.d.entA..ai. develo pment 6ILom encJr.oa.c.hment by c.ommeJr.cl.a.l a.nd indu6.tJUai. e..6ta.bwhmen.:t.6. ( 3) The c.en:tM..U.zatio n 06 .6 eJr.vic.e 6acJ..,U;Ue..6 60IL fte.cJtea.Uo nal Meal.> and enhanc.ement 06 ec.onom.ic. gILowth pot.entA..ai. 60ft :thO.6 e Meal.> .6tUt.a.ble 60IL -U.mU.e.d c.ommeJr.Ual development. -16- e (4) The. nnnage.men.t 06 Meal.> wheJLe U6 e may be cWt.ec;ted towa.Jr..d c.orrrneJtc1..ai. OIL bl.du.6.t1Uai. U6 ell, !l.atheJL ;than lLecJLe.a.:ti..o YLa.t OIL lLellide.nti.al U6 ell , which by :thw. na..tUlte lLequbr.e location it1. .6holLei.a..rz.d Meal.>. The criteria to be used for land use zoning districts shall be based on con- siderations of: preservation of natural areas; presen~ ownership and development of lakeshore and adjacent land; shoreland soil types and their engineering capa- bilities; topographic characteristics; vegetative cover; county socioeconomic development needs and plans as they involve water and related land resources; the land requirements of industry requiring location in shoreland areas; and the necessity to preserve and restore certain areas having great historical or ecological value. It is the responsibility of each local unit of government to prescribe uses of shorelands, such as residential or commercial, to provide for the most beneficial public use. The statewide shoreland regulations point out considerations which 4It should be used to determine the types of allowable uses based on compatibility with the unique characteristics of the resource. The shoreland management classi- fication, therefore, does not eliminate the need to delineate land use zones. It does prescribe standards which must be applied to uses allowed along a given body of water. V. SUMMARY The Minnesota Shoreland Management Classification System may be summarized as follows: e A. Goals of Classification System 1. To provide a flexible management tool which recognizes the v~~ied char- -17- e acter of Minnesota's public waters. 2. To provide for the application of different development standards to different kinds of lakes and streams in order to achieve a balance between resource protection and resource utilization. B. Basis for the Classification 1. Lakes were classified depending upon their existing degree of resource utilization (intensity of development), and 2. Upon their existing physical character (capability to withstand future development). e C. Shoreland Management Classes 1. Natural Environment Waters - are little developed at present and require the greatest degree of resource protection. 2. Recreational Development Waters - are moderately developed at present and are physically capable of supporting additional development. 3. General Development Waters - are those capable of multiple use development or those partially within an incorporated area. D. Local Government Role 1. Should review preliminary classification to insure compatibility with local land use objectives. 2. Request reclassification whenever and wherever appropriate. 3. Establish land use zoning districts consistent with the shoreland management classification. e -18- APPENVIX e COUNTY SHORE LAND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM PRELIMINARY LAKE CLASSIFICATION DISTRIBUTION NE Lakes NE Lakes less than greater than RD GO C Tota 1 County 150 acres 150 acres Lakes Lakes Lakes Lakes Aitkin 109 22 45 2 0 178 Anoka 46 5 4 5 0 60 Becker 350 57 58 9 0 474 Be1trami 151 26 38 6 0 221 Benton 10 0 2 0 0 12 Big Stone 124 17 0 3 0 144 Blue Earth 82 24 5 3 0 114 e Brown 67 12 0 3 0 82 Carlton 35 6 16 3 0 60 Carver 92 23 10 3 0 128 Cass 265 30 87 6 0 388 Chippewa 56 6 0 0 0 62 Chisago 40 6 11 10 0 67 Clay 59 1 0 1 0 61 Clearwater 99 14 8 3 0 124 Cook 139 49 19 0 0 207 Cottonwood 39 15 1 3 0 58 Crow Wing 148 25 89 32 0 294 Dakota 13 3 1 2 0 19 Dodge 8 3 0 0 0 11 Douglas 211 34 36 8 0 289 Faribau1t 59 14 2 0 0 75 Fillmore 0 0 0 0 0 0 . Freeborn 24 14 5 2 0 45 Goodhue 13 1 0 3 0 17 Grant 182 17 8 5 0 212 Hennepin 4 1 1 1 0 7 Houston 2 7 0 2 0 11 Hubbard 118 33 47 5 0 203 e Isanti 88 13 9 2 2 114 -19- e NE Lakes NE Lakes less than greater than RD GD C Tota 1 County 150 acres 150 acres Lakes Lakes Lakes Lakes Itasca 415 66 116 10 0 607 Jackson 54 12 5 1 0 72 Kanabec 22 1 9 0 0 32 Kandiyohi 219 44 20 8 0 291 Kittson 1 3 0 0 0 4 Koochiching 11 4 0 1 0 16 Lac Qui Parle 142 8 0 0 0 150 Lake 162 25 24 2 0 213 Lake 0 f the Woods 1 1 0 1 0 3 Le Sueur 53 20 11 0 2 86 Lincoln 72 19 3 2 0 96 Lyon 54 16 0 4 0 74 McLeod 80 26 6 3 0 115 Mahnomen 141 17 9 0 0 167 Marshall 2 3 0 0 0 5 Martin 80 28 3 5 0 116 Meeker 104 48 17 6 0 175 Mi lIe Lacs 5 5 1 1 0 12 e Morrison 61 7 11 5 0 84 Mower 1 0 .. 0 0 0 1 Murray 54 23 2 4 0 83 Nicollet 17 10 0 0 0 27 Nobles 19 13 0 2 0 34 Norman 4 0 0 0 0 4 Olmsted 1 0 1 2 0 4 Otter Tail 534 72 65 14 1 686 Pennington 1 1 0 0 0 2 Pine 51 0 19 3 0 73 Pipestone 1 0 0 0 0 1 Polk 170 11 3 3 0 187 Pope 116 30 8 3 0 157 Ramsey Out - Completely Incorporated Red Lake 2 0 0 0 0 2 Redwood 77 10 0 3 0 90 Renvi11e 81 12 1 0 0 94 Rice 36 13 6 2 0 57 Rock 0 0 0 0 0 0 Roseau 1 2 0 0 0 3 St. Louis 310 49 135 9 1 504 e Scott 102 21 2 3 0 128 -20- e NE lakes NE lakes less than greater than RD GO C Total County 150 acres 150 acres lakes lakes lakes lakes Sherburne 90 5 5 8 3 111 Sibley 61 22 2 2 0 87 Stearns 158 21 44 4 0 227 Steele 23 10 1 0 0 34 Stevens 150 22 3 5 0 180 Swift 83 16 2 3 0 104 Todd 108 19 20 4 0 151 Traverse 36 3 0 1 0 40 Wabasha 3 0 1 2 0 6 Wadena 25 2 3 1 0 31 Waseca 67 7 4 2 0 80 Washington 62 3 6 9 0 80 Watonwan 29 9 2 0 0 40 Wilkin 7 0 1 0 0 8 Winona 2 0 0 5 0 7 Wright 130 42 35 14 0 221 Yellow Medicine 58 10 0 0 0 68 e Total 6982 1289 1108 279 9 9667 Percent Total 72.2 13.3 11.5 2.9 .01 100 Percent Adjusted TotalS 48.2 41.4 10.1 0.3 100 - 5NE Lakes under 150 acres are excluded. -21- e ...- en ltlCU +O)~ Oltl ..... -J ~N\OO\cn 00 oo;too;tNoo;tN N \OO\ONN N ~ ~ to') ~ oo;t 0 NI'-- ~ O\NO\OO e ItI S- C'I "'C 0 CUS- ..... 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CU r-- cuo o~ 0~r-l00 00 N . ~.c ex:/ts I"-- I"-- /ts V'l -' -' >, .-+' /tSC II) c.. ::s CU ~ _0 L&J ~ ONOOO r-l0 I"-- UU z/ts r-l 0 .-4 .... -' r-l r-l cs.. ::sCU ~"O C ~ Q) s:: 0.-4 .-4 0 t1S 0.-4 ~ +' 5 "'0 0 C Q) f-o ::s to; ::E -- 0 ~ U t1S s:: ~ s:: t1S ~~ s:: 00.-4 s::..-4 s:: -'=0 r-l Q) Q) -'= 0,:,( 0 bOr-l t1S 0 1Il1ll~.-4S:: ..-4 .-4 ~ F-4 t1S t1S t1S..-4..-4 F-4 Q) 0 Q) ~~~~~ ~>- f-o c.. -25- e SHORELAND MANAGEMENT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM FOR PUBLIC WATERS MINNESOTA'S LAKES AND STREAMS Preliminary Classification By Department of Natural Resources NAlUW.. ENvIRONreIT WATERS RECREATIONAL DEvELOPM:NT WATERS teNERAl. DEvELORv1ENT WATERS e County or Municipal Review I Reclassification Requests NATLRAL ENvIRONMENT RECREATIONAL DEvELOPMENT GENERAL IlEvELOPf/ENT Classification Determines Applicable Minimum Standards e CouNTY OR M.JN Ie I PAL SIi)RELAND ~GEflENT ORD INANCES -26-