La Moine River Ecosystem Partnership: Organizing for Success Dan Moorehouse & Jeff Boeckler

La Moine River La Moine River Ecosystem Partnership:Ecosystem Partnership:Organizing for SuccessOrganizing for Success

Dan MoorehouseDan Moorehouse&&

Jeff BoecklerJeff Boeckler

INGREDIENTS for a PLANINGREDIENTS for a PLAN

Outreach to communityOutreach to community DiversityDiversity

OrganizeOrganize

Opinion SurveyOpinion Survey

Technical committeeTechnical committee Put the science togetherPut the science together

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Watershed SurveysWatershed Surveys

Watershed Opinion SurveyWatershed Opinion Survey

Focus GroupsFocus Groups

Landowner SurveyLandowner Survey

Local Environmental Educator SurveyLocal Environmental Educator Survey

Watershed Bus Tour

Features:

Mostly rural

Pop ≈ 68,000

Historically

≈ 50% Prairie

≈ 50% Forest

6th largest tributary to the Illinois River

Citizen Science

Technical Committee

(Science)

Community Involvement

Partner Organizations

Watershed Opinion Survey

Landowner Survey

Goal Development

Environmental Educator Survey

Landowner education

Publicity

THE PLAN

Partnership Formation

Willing Landowner

s

Putting the plan into actionPutting the plan into action

People

Ideas

Projects

Money

Implement

FOREST GAP RESTORATION PROJECT

Projects with other OrganizationsProjects with other Organizations

Problem – Soil ErosionProblem – Soil Erosion Getting funds to landowners to install BMP’sGetting funds to landowners to install BMP’s

Partners – LMREP, SWCD, and WIUPartners – LMREP, SWCD, and WIU FundingFunding

C2000, IEPA 319C2000, IEPA 319

IntroductionIntroduction

Organizing for SuccessOrganizing for Success La Moine River Ecosystem PartnershipLa Moine River Ecosystem Partnership

• Success stories and whySuccess stories and why• Challenges and resourcesChallenges and resources• Current ProjectsCurrent Projects

319, CREP319, CREP

Watershed PlanningWatershed Planning• ProcessProcess• Project Example: Putting the plan into actionProject Example: Putting the plan into action

La Moine River Watershed Management PlanLa Moine River Watershed Management Plan

Issues and concernsIssues and concerns Identified through a series of meetings in the Identified through a series of meetings in the

watershedwatershed Identified water quality impairments and other Identified water quality impairments and other

watershed problemswatershed problems Prioritized concerns that the partnership will addressPrioritized concerns that the partnership will address

Goals, Objectives, Strategies, Action ItemsGoals, Objectives, Strategies, Action Items The who, what, and how of the planThe who, what, and how of the plan Developed out of issues and concerns identified by Developed out of issues and concerns identified by

the data and stakeholder meetingsthe data and stakeholder meetings Physical and biological resource inventoryPhysical and biological resource inventory

For each of the 62 subwatersheds, collected and For each of the 62 subwatersheds, collected and analyzed all data pertaining to a particular sub basin analyzed all data pertaining to a particular sub basin


Social InventorySocial Inventory Conducted resident survey, teacher survey, Conducted resident survey, teacher survey,

and willing landowner surveyand willing landowner survey Collected other demographic data such as % Collected other demographic data such as %

householdshouseholds Priority subwatershedsPriority subwatersheds

The whereThe where Identified priority watershedsIdentified priority watersheds


Identified Best Management Practices or Identified Best Management Practices or implementation strategiesimplementation strategies Location, type, and load reductions for each Location, type, and load reductions for each

and every possible BMPand every possible BMP Location of sites in need of protectionLocation of sites in need of protection Location of high quality areasLocation of high quality areas

Best Management Practices:Best Management Practices:Pollutant Load Reduction ModelPollutant Load Reduction Model

In priority restoration, water quality, and In priority restoration, water quality, and erosion subwatersheds:erosion subwatersheds: Digitized the location and extent of potential Digitized the location and extent of potential

BMP’sBMP’s• Buffer strips, filter strips, grass waterways, dry Buffer strips, filter strips, grass waterways, dry

dams, wetlands, forest restoration, streambank dams, wetlands, forest restoration, streambank stabilization, and prairie restorationstabilization, and prairie restoration


PurposePurpose To identify specific projects and project To identify specific projects and project

locations and to quantify anticipated locations and to quantify anticipated environmental benefitsenvironmental benefits

To provide direction and options for focusing To provide direction and options for focusing project implementation in areas where it will project implementation in areas where it will have the most benefithave the most benefit

To match areas of stakeholder concern with To match areas of stakeholder concern with actual locations on-the-groundactual locations on-the-ground


LimitationsLimitations Limited to a selection of BMP’s where Limited to a selection of BMP’s where

literature sited removal efficienciesliterature sited removal efficiencies Pollutant loads based on averages and Pollutant loads based on averages and

estimates (but better than nothing)estimates (but better than nothing)• I tried to use the most recent and most reliable I tried to use the most recent and most reliable

datadata Based on interpreting aerial photosBased on interpreting aerial photos

• Actual locations and current site conditions may or Actual locations and current site conditions may or may not warrant the particular BMPmay not warrant the particular BMP

Putting the Plan Into ActionPutting the Plan Into Action

Project Example: Livestock Management Project Example: Livestock Management Project:Project: Identified “Willing Landowners” located in priority Identified “Willing Landowners” located in priority

subwatersheds and those sites where BMP’s would subwatersheds and those sites where BMP’s would have the highest load reductionshave the highest load reductions

• Contacted landowners and arranged site visitContacted landowners and arranged site visit Evaluated site and drafted project scopeEvaluated site and drafted project scope Verified that the primary stakeholder concerns and Verified that the primary stakeholder concerns and

year one objectives we met by projectyear one objectives we met by project Identified funding programs and drafted grant Identified funding programs and drafted grant

applicationapplication

Putting the Plan Into ActionPutting the Plan Into Action

Project Example: Livestock Management Project Example: Livestock Management Project:Project: Livestock fencing, crossings, pasture Livestock fencing, crossings, pasture

management, watering system, wetland and management, watering system, wetland and riparian zone restoration, streambank riparian zone restoration, streambank stabilization, upland erosion control, modelingstabilization, upland erosion control, modeling

Funding sources: NRCS EQIP, SSRP, Funding sources: NRCS EQIP, SSRP, C2000, Trees ForeverC2000, Trees Forever

Questions / Comments?Questions / Comments?

Documents

La Moine River Ecosystem Partnership: Organizing for Success Dan Moorehouse & Jeff Boeckler