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Wo^(& \£odm |/\|(ZD V/OVVf VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK, MINNESOTA WATER RESOURCES SCOPING REPORT Don P. Weeks and Roger J. Andrascik Technical Report NPS/NRWRS/NRTR-98/201 WATER RESOURCES DIVISION National Park Service - Department ofthe Interior Fort Collins - Denver - Washington United States Department ofthe Interior • National Park Service NATIONAL PARK SERVICE WATER RESOURCES DIVISION FORTCOLLINS, COLORADO RESOURCE ROOM PROPERTY The National Park Service Water Resources Division is responsible for providing water resources management policy and guidelines, planning, technical assistance, training, and operational support to units ofthe National Park System. Program areas include water rights, water resources planning, regulatory guidance and review, hydrology, water quality, watershed management, watershed studies, and aquatic ecology. Technical Reports The National Park Service disseminates the results ofbiological, physical, and social research through the Natural Resources Technical Report Series. Natural resources inventories and monitoring activities, scientific literature reviews, bibliographies, and proceedings oftechnical workshops and conferences are also disseminated through this series. Mention oftrade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the National Park Service. Copies ofthis report are available from the following: National Park Service (970) 225-3500 Water Resources Division 1201 Oak Ridge Drive, Suite 250 Fort Collins, CO 80525 National Park Service (303)969-2130 Technical Information Center Denver Service Center P.O. Box 25287 Denver, CO 80225-0287 li ROOM PROPERTY RESOURCE VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK MINNESOTA WATER RESOURCES SCOPING REPORT Don P. Weeks1 Roger Andrascik2 J. Technical Report NPS/NRWRS/NRTR-98/201 October, 1998 'Hydrologist, U.S. Department ofthe Interior, National Park Service, Water Resources Division, Denver, Colorado 2ChiefResource Management, U.S. Departmentofthe Interior, Voyageurs National Park, International Falls, Minnesota United States Department ofthe Interior National Park Service 111 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation http://archive.Org/details/v#yageursnationa00week CONTENTS Contents v List ofFigures vi List ofTables vii Appendices vii Executive Summary ix Introduction 1 Location, Legislation, and Management 1 Description ofNatural Resources 6 Climate 6 Physiography 6 Geology 7 Structural Geology 8 Minerals 8 Soils 8 Hydrology 9 Surface Water 9 Surface Water Management 12 Ground Water 15 Water Quality 15 Biological Resources 17 Flora 17 Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species 18 Fauna 18 Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species 19 Water Resource Issues 20 Surface Water Quantity and Seasonal Fluctuations 20 Surface Water Quality 21 Fishery and Aquatic Ecology 23 Riparian Zone Management 24 Floodplains Management 25 Wetlands Management 27 Recreational Management 27 Wastewater and Regulated Storage Tank Management 28 Water Rights 29 Baseline Inventory and Monitoring 30 Atmospheric Deposition 31 Lakecountry and Backcountry Management 32 Minerals 33 Exotic Species 33 Coordination 35 Resources Management Staffing and Programs 36 Recommendations 40 Literature Cited 42 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Regional Map, Voyageurs National Park 2 Figure 2. Voyageurs National Park 4 Figure 3. Monthly Mean Precipitation and Air Temperature Range (1961-1990), MN International Falls, 6 Figure 4. Hudson Bay Watershed 10 Figure 5. Schematic Network ofSurface Water Flow through the Three Lake System...11 Figure 6. Existing Rule Curves for Rainy Lake and Namakan Reservoir 14 Figure 7. Procedures for Implementing the National Park Service Floodplain Management Guideline 26 Figure 8. Voyageurs National Park, Natural and Cultural Resources Program: Organization and Structure 36 VI LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Soils Identification and Description, Voyageurs National Park 9 Table 2. Morphometric Parameters ofKabetogama, Namakan, Rainy, and Sand Point Lakes at Full Capacity 12 Table 3 Nondegradation Key for Outstanding Resource Value Waters 16 . APPENDICIES Appendix A. 1997 Resource Management Plan Scoping Meeting Participants, Voyageurs National Park 49 Appendix B. Acronyms used in Report 51 Vll Vlll EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Water Resource Scoping Reports (WRSRs) provide National Park Service (NPS) management with a better understanding ofa park's water resources and the current issues it faces. These reports typically summarize existing hydrological information, identify and analyze major water resource issues and management concerns, and determine ifa more comprehensive Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP) is warranted. In certain cases, WRSRs meet the current water management needs for park units, where the number and complexity ofissues are minimal. In such cases, park Resource Management Plan (RMP) project statements are included in the report to provide park management with the necessary action plan(s) to address the high-priority issues. For Voyageurs National Park (VOYA), the water-related issues are numerous and complex. Thus, the primary objective ofthis report is to define the high-priority water- related issues at the park, which will ultimately provide thejustification for a more comprehensive assessment ofthese issues and the resulting project statements that properly address them (i.e., WRMP). This Water Resources Scoping Report identifies and briefly describes the natural VOYA resources at and the surrounding area, and the significant water-related issues that park management is challenged to address. The report also summarizes the park's existing natural resources program to evaluate current staffing and natural resource management projects and identify some ofthe park's management needs. Based on the assessment ofthese natural resource issues, a recommendation andjustification to WRMP VOYA produce a more comprehensive for is presented. Contents are limited to information made available to the authors during the time the report was prepared. Issue specific recommendation(s) previously proposed byNPS management via existing VOYA planning documents (i.e., RMP) are included in this report. As a result, descriptions ofthe natural resources and water resource issues vary in detail, and inclusion ofissue-related recommendations is inconsistent. VOYA, established in 1975, lies in a hydrologically complex and politically sensitive environment where numerous natural resource issues have arisen over the past several decades. Almost all ofthese issues relate directly or indirectly to water. The factors contributing to this complex management challenge include: 38% ofthe park covered by water; VOYA sharing a common boundary with Canada; surface water elevations strictly regulated for anthropogenic needs; and intense visitor usage. Water is critical to the natural ecosystem function and economic vitality ofthe region. The park's natural aquatic ecology has evolved around several glacial events, which transformed the waters and lands in the region to their present condition. There exists both widespread and local threats, which have the potential to degrade VOYA's water resources. Park water quantity and quality are affected by the water level management regime administered by the International Joint Commission (IJC), which regulates the IX levels ofthe four major lakes in VOYA. Studies in the park have shown that the unnatural fluctuating water levels have resulted in profound negative effects on the aquatic ecology. The presence ofcabins, resorts, campsites, houseboat mooring sites, and day-use sites along the park's shoreline has led to local instances oferosion, improper garbage disposal, and improper septic treatment. Additionally, widespread use of powerboats and snowmobiles has resulted in the release ofpetroleum byproducts into the park's environment. In an effort to identify the most critical water-related issues for VOYA, the NPS Water Resources Division participated in aNovember 1997 Resource Management Plan Scoping meeting at the park. Participants included representatives from VOYA, U.S. Geological Survey - Biological Resources Division, University ofMinnesota - Department ofForest Resources, NPS - Midwest Region, and NPS - Water Resources Division (Appendix A). The following fifteen water-related issues were identified during this meeting: Surface Water Quantity and Seasonal Fluctuations Surface Water Quality Fishery and Aquatic Ecology Riparian Zone Management Floodplains Management Wetlands Management Recreational Management Wastewater and Regulated Storage Tank Management Water Rights Baseline Inventory and Monitoring Atmospheric Deposition Interior Lakes Management Minerals Exotic Species Coordination These issues have aspects that affect the park's water resources, though they may not be underNPS control; therefore, it is important to recognize the fact that multi-agency communication and coordination are essential to successfully managing VOYA's WRMP watershed. The process recommended for the park encourages other stakeholders to participate with the NPS during and after plan development. This process, ifcarried through, will produce regional ownership ofthe WRMP, which is needed to drive the plan's recommended actions.