Progress Report

CICEET Progress Report for the period 3/01/09 Through 8/31/09

Project Title: Planning for Superior Coastal Communities
Principal Investigator(s): Sue O’Halloran, Water Resource Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Extension
Project Start Date: September 1, 2007
Report Compiled By: Sue O’Halloran and Amy Eliot

Project Objectives for This Reporting Period
Objectives
Objective 1
Delineate minor watershed boundaries for streams in the county.

Objective 2
Update a countywide subwatershed map showing the percentages of existing open lands and young forest cover.

Objective 3
Create a minor watershed map showing existing impervious surface and projected impervious surface based on 100% build-out of current zoning.

Objective 4
Education and Outreach

Objective 5
Assist with comprehensive planning - natural resource and land use elements.

Objective 6
Create maps that are useful and easily accessible to the county for use in future zoning permit review and county planning efforts

Tasks to Meet Objectives
Objective 1
Digitized minor watersheds using a 1:24,000 scale map and revised these boundaries to fit within the USDA Forest Service HUC boundaries.

Objective 2
Calculate the percentage of open lands and young forests (0-15 yrs) in each of the minor watersheds.

Objective 3
Estimate the percentage of impervious surfaces in each of the minor watersheds. Project amount of impervious surface at 100% build-out within each subwatershed.

Objective 4
Disseminate information compiled through this project to other coastal communities and municipal officials.

Objective 5
Integrate information on forest cover/open lands analyses and implications of this research into the natural resource and land use planning elements.

Objective 6
Identify format for watershed data output and transfer to county GIS and regional planning staff for uploading to website.

Progress on Tasks
Objective 1
Digitization of minor watersheds has been completed.

Objective 2
Open lands analysis has been completed.

Objective 3
Impervious surface and build-out analyses have been completed.

Objective 4
Information was disseminated to community members and government officials through on-the-water boat programs

Objective 5
Information on project presented during county-wide comprehensive planning open house. Continue to attend planning committee and subcommittee meetings.

Objective 6
Coordination of data transfer between GIS consultant, planning consultant and county GIS staff.

Dissemination and outreach activities
Comprehensive planning open house: A county-wide comprehensive open house was held to provide information on the county planning process to the towns/municipalities in the county. Most of the towns are developing their individual land use plans that will be integrated into the county plan.

Boat trips: Local government officials were provided information on the project during on-the-water boat trips

Participation at planning meetings

Data/results: change in original approach
No changes are anticipated to date.

Collaboration activities
The majority of work with stakeholders has occurred at subcommittee meetings. Most of the committee members accept the relevance of our project work and have integrated what they have learned into plan policies and actions. Others are unwilling to change their preconceived ideas and work against adoption of policies/actions that reflect current information. Most of the town planning committee members have not attended the county planning and the next step in the process will be to convey project information that is relevant to their town to gain their support for the full county plan.

Technical and non-technical objectives – next reporting period
Technical objectives

  • Subwatershed vulnerability analysis
  • Hydrologic assessment
  • Alternative growth scenarios
  • Final data/map output to county

Non-technical objectives

  • Interpret information from vulnerability and hydrologic analyses and present to county planning members
  • Low impact design analysis and interpretation to county planning members
  • Compilation of project outputs into final draft of comprehensive plan
  • Assist planning consultant in disseminating project information to town planning committees