5.8 Capital Improvement Program
The capital improvement program identified below includes projects that will progress the District toward achieving its various goals for the subwatershed. This program is not a comprehensive list of all capital needs or potential projects within the subwatershed, and is limited by available financial resources and staff capacity to manage projects. These priority projects are intended to:
- Achieve nutrient load reductions in Long Lake and Tanager Lake to prevent future listing as Impaired Waters that require TMDL studies.
- Stabilize and restore reaches of Long Lake Creek identified in the Upper Watershed Stream Assessment with the highest concentration of erosion issues and to improve biotic integrity.
- Begin addressing the historic loss of wetlands in the subwatershed through restoration of degraded or drained wetlands.
- Mitigate the impacts of future development on downstream resources.
These proposed projects emphasize the achievement of multiple objectives. For example, stream restoration would not only stabilize streambanks and prevent further erosion, it would provide an opportunity to improve in-stream and buffer habitat, conserve existing high-value resources, and reduce sediment and nutrient transport downstream. Wetland restorations would not only restore degraded or drained wetlands, they would provide an opportunity to increase infiltration, improve habitat, and conserve existing high-value resources.