Great Lakes Supplement to the Freshwater for the Future discussion guidebook by Interactivity Foundation

GREATLAKESSUPPLEMENT TOTHE

FRESHWATERFORTHEFUTURE DISCUSSIONGUIDEBOOK

PROJECTCO-MANAGERS SHANNONWHEATLEYHARTMAN,PHD

DENNISBOYER,JD,MPA

SUPPLEMENTALDISCUSSION FACILITATEDBY 2016

DENNISBOYER

POLICYAPPROACHES TO

WATERINTHEGRAE ATLAKESREGION ND

OTHEROFAREAS ?WATERABUNDANCE?

I. Protect Water Systems A. Devel op Deeper Perspect ives on t he Rol e of Wat er in t he Region (p.2-3) B. Improve Wat er Governance (p.4-6) C. Int egrat e Wat er Management (p.7-9)

II. Understandingthe""Water Story"" D. Buil d t he ?Shared Wat er (p.10-12) Narrat ive? E. Creat e and Sust ain Publ ic (p.13-15) Part icipat ion in Wat er Governance

III. StartingPoint for TacklingWater Pollution F. Deal wit h t he Special Case of Nut rient Pol l ut ion (p.16-18)

IV.LakeWebegoing A "Not Bad" Lake Near t he Great Lakes (p.19-21)

Freshwat er f or t he Fut ure Guidebook

Int roduct ion

The mat erial s in t his discussion suppl ement were devel oped f or use wit h t he Int eract ivit y Foundat ion?s Freshwat er f or t he Fut ure guidebook. IF produces discussion guidebooks on a variet y of pol icy concerns f or use in cit izen, cl assroom, and pol icy devel opment discussions. The guidebooks are of t en f ramed at a very general l evel t hat may be used at a nat ional or even int ernat ional l evel . The f raming is around ?possibil it ies? t hat represent cont rast ing general pol icies t o t he quest ions arising out expl orat ion of t he t opic in quest ion. Whil e IF does not ?t akes sides? in t hese cont rast ing approaches, it does see inherent civic benef it in open, wide-ranging publ ic conversat ion as a prel ude t o pol icy devel opment and decision-making. This suppl ement is undert aken wit h t he underst anding t hat many cit izens wil l have t heir appet it es f or publ ic discussion whet t ed by considerat ion of general concept s. They may desire t o pursue addit ional discussion of part icul ar l ocal concerns and at t empt t o expl ore what sort s of impl ement at ions might address t hose l ocal concerns. This suppl ement is designed t o provide hel pf ul st art ing point s in a wat er discussion in t he Great Lakes region and may usef ul in any area wit h a general condit ion of wat er abundance, but where issues of wat er qual it y and governance st il l l eave many unanswered quest ions. A devel opment al discussion working group of t en prof essional s f amil iar wit h a wide range of Great Lake region wat er issues and general environment al science experience generat ed t he f raming f or t he approaches in t his discussion suppl ement . They wish t o acknowl edge t heir f requent ref erence t o t he mat erial s recent l y devel oped by t he Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Art s, and Let t ers (WASAL) in t he Wat ers of Wisconsin init iat ive. This suppl ement was devel oped wit h t he assist ance of t he Wisconsin panel ist s of t he original IF Freshwat er discussion project and st af f f rom IF and Universit y of Wisconsin Ext ension.

I. Protect Water Systems Approach A? Devel op Deeper Perspect ives on t he Rol e of Wat er in t he Region Thinking Behind t he Approach It has of t en been observed t hat t he t ype of t hinking t hat get s us int o dif f icul t ies is sel dom t he t ype of t hinking t hat wil l get us out of dif f icul t ies. Those in t he Great Lakes region and ot her areas of wat er abundance somet imes make assumpt ions about wat er t hat may not hol d up over t ime. Abundance may not cont inue in t he f ace of cl imat e changes. The barriers t o removal of wat er f rom t he Great Lakes basin may not endure. Popul at ion and economic growt h may accel erat e beyond current project ions. Wat er abundance al so has a way of bl inding cit izens and decision-makers t o ot her wat er concerns. The comf ort of generous quant it ies may l ead t o f ail ure t o prot ect qual it y. A general condit ion of abundance may mask l ocal ized short ages of signif icant impact . And a condit ion of abundance does not in it sel f guarant ee t hat et hical quest ions about dist ribut ion wil l be raised much l ess answered.

This approach cal l s f or a wider conversat ion on wat er concerns t hat expl ores and devel ops deeper perspect ives on t he rol e wat er pl ays in t he regions of wat er abundance. In t he case of t he Great Lakes region t here is a signif icant l egacy of conservat ion t hinking, open governance, and achievement s l ike t he Great Lakes Compact . At t he same t ime, pressures f rom indust ry and agricul t ure cal l past approaches t o regul at ion int o quest ion and conservat ion t hinking does not enjoy t he same l evel of non-part isan consensus t hat it once did. A wider conversat ion wit h deeper perspect ives needs t o pl ace al l wat er concerns on t he t abl e and address t heir et hical , scient if ic, and good governance dimensions.

Approach A? Devel op Deeper Perspect ives on t he Rol e of Wat er in t he Region

Possibl e Concerns t o Consider in Discussion of t his Approach -

Prel iminary conversat ions concerning t his approach uncovered dozens of concerns t hat cit izens might consider in pursuit of t he civic t ask of deepening t he perspect ives t hat inf orm our wat er pol icies. These are t he primary groupings of concerns: Wat er int ensive indust ries and act ivit ies seem t o be increasing, al ong wit h t he pot ent ial f or economic devel opment t o be drawn t o wat er abundant regions. Regul at ory and enf orcement resources at most l evel s of government seem inadequat e t o t he emerging chal l enges. Science, as a t ool f or inf orming bot h publ ic conversat ion and pol icy-making, is increasingl y under at t ack. Our underst andings of t he int erconnect ivit y of social , economic, and environment al t hinking have yet t o inf orm any general pol icy rel at ing t o sust ainabil it y.

Possibl e St eps t o Deepen Perspect ives Our conversat ions f ocused on t he need t o devel op st rat egies t o prot ect wat er out of an et hical obl igat ion t o f ut ure generat ions and ot her f orms of l if e. Heal t hy aquat ic ecosyst ems must be recognized as essent ial t o l if e in t he region and on Eart h. Some of t he possibl e st eps in t his direct ion might incl ude: - Improved communicat ion and cooperat ion across t he range of inst it ut ions and discipl ines engaged in t he st udy and prot ect ion of wat er. - Improved governance of wat er at scal es t hat respect wat ersheds and aquif ers more t han boundaries bet ween pol it ical jurisdict ions (incl uding uphol ding t he Great Lakes Compact and devel oping simil ar arrangement s in ot her wat ersheds). - Organized regional Wat er Congresses t hat provide f orums f or discussion of t hese deeper perspect ives and al l ow f or recommendat ions on t ransl at ing deeper perspect ives t o pol icy.

Approach B? Improve Wat er Governance

Thinking Behind t he Approach One woul d hope t hat one possibl e out come of devel oping deeper perspect ives on t he rol es of wat er in t he region (as per Approach A) might be improved governance of wat er resources. Bet t er appreciat ion of t he int erconnect ion of wat er syst ems, advancement s in wat er science, and opport unit ies f or int er-discipl inary probl em-sol ving coul d al l provide f oundat ions f or improved wat er governance in t he region. Whil e we shoul d seek t o buil d t hese f oundat ions, we must al so recognize t hat a number of st ruct ural model s and met hods f or improved wat er governance are al ready avail abl e. Somet imes t he sol ut ions are al ready at hand and it is mainl y a mat t er of devel oping t he pol it ical wil l t o adopt sound wat er governance model s. It may al so be t he case t hat wat er governance is not addressing societ al and environment al needs because of deeper dysf unct ion in t he general governance syst em? be it undue inf l uence of powerf ul int erest s or part isan gridl ock. Improved wat er governance may al so prove el usive because of our ?l ayered? syst ems of government : l ocal , st at e, and f ederal . ?Fragment ed? governance poses chal l enges f or improved governance. This is especial l y t he case where we inherit signif icant l egacies of pat ched t oget her sol ut ions t o wat er governance t hat are dif f icul t t o unravel . The project of improved governance requires some cl ear t hinking about where we are, how we got t here, what means might bet t er serve us, and what barriers and int erest s st and in t he way.

Approach B? Improve Wat er Governance

Possibl e Concerns t o Consider in Discussion of t his Approach It is cert ainl y t he case t hat some mat t ers rel at ing t o wat er governance have seen some progress and t hat a number of wat er qual it y issues have shown improvement . Wat er science has experienced advances and t he abil it y t o monit or wat er qual it y has expanded in many areas. At t he same t ime, wat er governance has not been immune t o t he ant i-regul at ory current s and economic devel opment pressures t hat have somet imes pl aced general environment al concerns as secondary t o business int erest s. Weaker prot ect ion of wat er and ot her environment al prot ect ions can be seen as t ool in at t ract ing and ret aining business and have, at t imes, l ed t o a bidding war bet ween l ocal it ies and bet ween st at es t o see who can l ight en regul at ion t he most . Whil e t here is pl ent y of evidence t hat abundant cl ean wat er is an economic devel opment asset , t hose who woul d pref er l ess regul at ion of wat er are not hesit ant t o pl ay t he ?jobs card? and t hreat en t o move or cl ose business f acil it ies. It is al so t he case t hat good wat er governance is not hel ped by more general t rends in government st af f ing and f unding. Publ ic sect or workf orces have in many cases shrunk and t he wages f or expert t echnical st af f are of t en st agnant and not compet it ive wit h ot her science-rel at ed empl oyment . It is al so of t en dif f icul t in t he current pol it ical environment t o est abl ish appropriat e f ee st ruct ures f or wat er governance, much l ess use general t ax revenue f or wat er prot ect ion.

Approach B? Improve Wat er Governance

Discussant s l ooking at t hese governance mat t ers expl ored t he f ol l owing concerns: -

In many cases l ocal unit s of government l ack suf f icient aut horit y t o pursue regional or cross-jurisdict ion wat er governance possibil it ies or f ace many dif f icul t ies in doing so. Wat er science is of t en viewed as separat e f rom t he pol icy-making real m and is somet imes at t acked as biased. The breakt hroughs t hat l ed t o t he Great Lakes Compact may be hard t o repl icat e f or t he f oreseeabl e f ut ure.

Possibl e St eps t o Improve Governance of Wat er Discussant s f el t st rongl y t hat a general conversat ion about t he import ance of wat er might be a key f act or in breaking t he l ogjam t hat current l y prevent s improved governance in so many pol icy areas. Their inst inct s convinced t hem t hat t he common ground of wat er as cent ral t o human act ivit y and survival might t ranscend special int erest pol it ics. It was al so t hought t hat cit izens are not general l y wel l -inf ormed about barriers t o good governance and what pol icies might hel p t he sit uat ion. Some of t he possibl e st eps might incl ude: -

Creat e publ ic awareness about t he benef it s or governance at t he wat ershed and aquif er l evel s and buil d pol it ical pressure t o creat e government al unit s at t hese l evel s. Move t oward regul at ory processes t hat incorporat e general l y agreed upon t echnical st andards and scient if ic f indings t o be incorporat ed int o rul es wit hout undue pol it ical inf l uence. Al l ow l ocal government s t o ent er compact s wit h Tribal government s and l ocal government s in ot her st at es and provinces t hat share wat er resources.

Approach C? Int egrat e Wat er Management

Thinking Behind t he Approach Wat er issues are by t heir very nat ure int erconnect ed and dif f icul t t o deal wit h in isol at ion of one anot her. Yet in t he Great Lakes region and many ot her wat er abundant areas t he processes of prot ect ion, regul at ion, and pol icy-making have of t en evol ved one issue and one piece of a syst em at a t ime. In part t his is because of t he f ragment ed governance point ed out in Approach B, but it al so st ems f rom t he sl owness in devel oping t he deeper perspect ives ant icipat ed by Approach A. Underst anding t he many rol es of wat er in t his region may hel p us appreciat e what sort s of act ivit ies need bet t er int egrat ion of wat er management . The region has st rong demands f or drinking wat er, but agricul t ure, f orest ry, commercial uses (manuf act uring, energy, and t ransport at ion among t hem), recreat ion, and nat ural habit at s support ive of biodiversit y al l l ay cl aims t o wat er in t he region. The very ident it y of t he region is bound up wit h it s wat ers. Wat er management st rat egies have of t en seemed l ike t he ?sil os? t hat divide many special t ies and discipl ines. Issues of wat er qual it y may predominat e in areas of wat er abundance, but det eriorat ion of qual it y can creat e issues of wat er quant it y as f l exibil it y t o deal wit h l ocal ized short ages is reduced. Fail ure t o appreciat e t he wat er cycl e, wit h precipit at ion pat t erns and t he nat ural syst em ?services? provided by wet l ands, f orest s, and grassl ands can l ead t o short sight ed decisions. The ?invisibil it y? of groundwat er and l ess obvious bodies of surf ace wat er may al so l ead t o gaps in pol icy and prot ect ions.

Approach C? Int egrat e Wat er Management

Possibl e Concerns t o Consider in Discussion of t his Approach In addit ion t o t he compl exit y and inef f iciency of wat er management because of t he governance issues expl ored in Approach B, discussant s in t he devel opment process of t his guidebook f el t t hat t he regional probl ems concerning wat er may resul t f rom f raming or t hinking issues t hat f ail t o ut il ize appropriat e science and best pract ices. There are concerns general l y in t he dif f icul t y of get t ing t o hol ist ic t hinking about ecosyst em issues, but is especial l y t he case wit h wat er where much of t he wat er cycl e and syst ems are ?invisibl e?. Isol at ed int ervent ions in one part of t he wat er cycl e or in a port ion of a wat er syst em may ignore crucial int errel at ionships and f ail t o achieve goal s or even cause ot her probl ems. ?Syst ems t hinking? in wat er management means more t han underst anding t he nat ural syst ems and human-buil t inf rast ruct ure t hat handl e wat er. It al so means underst anding t he key dimensions of int egrat ed wat er management : science, et hics, economics, and col l aborat ion.

Discussant s in t his devel opment process f ocused on t he f ol l owing concerns: -

Usabl e and accessibl e dat a on many wat er issues is somet imes l acking and t here is rarel y one pl ace t o f ind wat er inf ormat ion. Coordinat ion and col l aborat ion among inst it ut ions, wat er management unit s, and st akehol ders is not al ways f unct ional and we of t en l ack t he means t o compel or incent ives int egrat ed in management . Inabil it y t o properl y and f ul l y account f or current and f ut ure cost s of misuse of wat er shif t s cost s f rom t hose engaging in quest ionabl e pract ices t o f ut ure generat ions.

Approach C? Int egrat e Wat er Management

Possibl e St eps t o Int egrat e Wat er Management Discussant s f el t st rongl y t hat much more coul d be done t o bring t oget her and coordinat e t he various management syst ems t hat deal wit h wat er inf rast ruct ure and wat er sources. Regul at ory st af f , scient if ic researchers, and conservat ionist s may be t he init ial source of t his int egrat ion as t hey devel op model s t hat recognize t he int erconnect ions bet ween wat er sources and of f er pl ans incorporat ing t hese underst andings. In t he case of t he Great Lakes region, it al so seems import ant t o recognize t he rel at ionship wit h adjacent import ant wat ersheds (mainl y t he Mississippi-Ohio river syst em). Ul t imat el y t he abil it y t o int egrat e wat er management may be somewhat dependent on t he success of t he improved governance of Approach B, but must be put f ort h by wat er prof essional s and cit izen conservat ionist s where government l eadership is l acking. Some possibl e st eps might incl ude: -

Int egrat e surf ace wat er and groundwat er management in prof essional st andards and t raining. Support improved wat er dat a col l ect ion syst ems, best pract ices in monit oring, and adapt ive management t echniques. Ident if y chal l enges of f ut ure project ed wat er uses and wit hdrawal s and devel op opt ions f or meet ing t hose chal l enges. Move t oward co-management as st ep in int egrat ion, wit h al l l evel s of government and American Indian t ribes having a voice in management del iberat ions.

II. Understandingthe""Water Story"" Thinking Behind t he Approach A number of groups and wat er scient ist s in our region have considered t he mat t er of how t o communicat e about wat er concerns. As ment ioned previousl y, t here are somet imes dif f icul t ies associat ed wit h engaging t he publ ic concerning resources t hat seem abundant , probl ems t hat are not cl earl y ?visibl e?, and governance processes t hat are not wel l underst ood. Mat erial s addressing t hese communicat ion issues are beginning t o become avail abl e and t he work of providing t he inf ormat ional t ool s t o cit izens, of f icial s, and st akehol ders is underway. What is l ess cert ain is whet her we have (or are in a posit ion t o generat e) a perspect ive or ?st ory? t hat crosses t he many int erest s and perspect ives in our societ y. A generat ion or t wo ago we had Al do Leopol d?s l and et hic t hat provided a basis f or a l ong period of bipart isan/ nonpart isan f raming of many key conservat ion concerns. It was not a st at e of t ot al consensus? how much t o spend, how f ast t o impl ement , and who administ ered and enf orced regul at ion of t en provided f requent

Approach D? Buil d t he ?Shared Wat er Narrat ive? and vehement occasion f or conf l ict . But t he underl ying val ues of st ewardship and enl ight ened sel f -int erest of prot ect ing common resources served as moderat ing inf l uences on short -t erm t hinking. This approach seeks t o raise t he issue of generat ing a compl ement ary wat er et hic t hat may f rame a new f orm of bipart isan/ nonpart isan t hinking about our wat er resources. Many of t he assumpt ions t hat underl ie t he possibl e benef it s of t he devel opment of deeper perspect ives on wat er under Approach A woul d be served by t his approach. Indeed, it is al so l ikel y t hat t he improved governance and int egrat ed management of Approaches B and C woul d f l ow f rom any common ground t hat a more widel y shared wat er narrat ive might creat e.

Approach D? Buil d t he ?Shared Wat er Narrat ive? Possibl e Concerns t o Consider in Discussion of t his Approach Discussant s f ound t hat count ering myt hs and misinf ormat ion are a l arge part of t he mission of creat ing a shared wat er narrat ive. Just as t he general condit ions of abundance and qual it y may not t el l t he whol e st ory over a wide area wit h many wat ersheds, t he l ack inf ormat ion about part icul ar pressures or emerging probl ems may skew t he views of t he publ ic and decision-makers away f rom vigil ance and pro-act ive response. A shared narrat ive root ed in a wat er et hic needs t o account f or demographic and devel opment pat t erns, species and habit at sensit ivit ies, and adapt abil it y t o new condit ions. Discussant s f ocused on t he f ol l owing concerns: -

Growing numbers of cit izens f eel t hat t heir wat er st ories are overshadowed by an economic devel opment narrat ive t hat pl aces l it t l e val ue on publ ic saf et y and heal t h or et hical considerat ions. Regul at ory ?f ast -t racking? and ?st reaml ining? of t en work against incl usive and del iberat ive processes t hat woul d buil d a widel y underst ood and accept ed wat er narrat ive. Narrow special int erest s are of t en abl e t o dominat e and shape t he narrat ive t hrough inf l uence in t he media and pol it ical campaigns. Opport unit ies t o share and expand wat er st ories have not kept pace wit h t he compl exit y or urgency of wat er chal l enges.

Approach D? Buil d t he ?Shared Wat er Narrat ive? Possibl e St eps t o Buil d t he Shared Wat er Narrat ive Discussant s spent considerabl e t ime on t he mat t er of how t o devel op a shared wat er narrat ive of t he Great Lakes region or ot her regions of rel at ive wat er abundance t hat f ace emerging compl ex issues of qual it y and dist ribut ion. There was a widel y hel d view t hat devel opment of such a shared narrat ive woul d need t o account f or et hical and sense of pl ace dimensions. The et hical dimensions st art wit h t he cent ral it y of t he admission t hat wat er is l if e and t hat impingement s on wat er qual it y and avail abil it y t hreat en or degrade l if e. This discussion al so incl udes el ement s rel at ing t o democrat ic governance of wat er, account abil it y f or decisions made about wat er usage and regul at ion, mat t ers of equit y, spirit ual val ues, and responsibil it y t o f ut ure generat ions and ot her l iving t hings/ syst ems. The sense of pl ace dimensions begin wit h very personal at t achment s t o wat er bodies. Such at t achment s f orm a basis f or shared st ory t hemes t hat hel p us underst and our rel at ionships, ident it y, and val ues. Possibl e st eps in buil ding t his shared narrat ive might incl ude: -

Devel op present at ions on t he hist oric and cul t ural meanings of wat er in t he region and bet t er ut il ize publ ic educat ion and media t o communicat e wit h cit izens. Init iat e a ?Wat er St ory Project ? t hat provides an oral hist ory base of individual and communit y wat er st ories t hat may serve as bot h a current shared conversat ion and as an archive f or f ut ure ref erence. Provide opport unit ies f or indigenous peopl es t o share t heir wat er st ories and t he t radit ions and wisdom t hat underl ie t hose st ories.Enl ist t he t al ent s and resources of wat er st akehol ders t o devel op and broaden a wat er et hic, wit h wider appl icat ion of t he ?keeper? concept (as in ?river keeper? and ?wat er keeper?) as voices f or part icul ar bodies of wat er.

Approach E? Creat e and Sust ain Publ ic Part icipat ion in Wat er Governance Thinking Behind t he Approach Approach A l ooks t o deepen perspect ives on wat er, Approach B hopes t o improve wat er governance, Approach C aspires t o int egrat e wat er management , and Approach D seeks t o buil d a shared wat er narrat ive. Discussant s in t his working group asked t hemsel ves: ?how do we in t he Great Lakes region and ot her areas of rel at ive wat er abundance est abl ish a cont ext in which t hese approaches may be considered and decided upon by t he broader publ ic??. The answer(s) t o t hat quest ion were suggest ed in t he concerns behind al l t hese approaches. Concerns about dominat ion of wat er del iberat ions by narrow int erest s, compl icat ed jurisdict ional l ines of governance, disjoint ed management st ruct ures, l ack of cl ear and usef ul inf ormat ion, and t he absence of a widel y shared wat er et hic and wat er st ory point ed t oward condit ions where democrat ic governance of wat er is dif f icul t if not impossibl e. Social devel opment and pol icy change sel dom spring f rom a singl e act ion or chart a st raight course. Whil e it was t hought t hat t here are opport unit ies f or advancement of various possibl e impl ement at ions of t he above Approaches, it was al so bel ieved t hat a serious reimagining of how we engage t he publ ic on wat er issues is cal l ed f or. Discussant s f el t t hat t he l essons of t he broad movement s f or publ ic part icipat ion, governance conversat ion, and dial ogue and del iberat ion were ripe f or appl icat ion t o t he dif f icul t wat er issues f acing us now and in t he f ut ure and woul d provide t he cont ext in which t he above Approaches coul d be considered and advanced.

Approach E? Creat e and Sust ain Publ ic Part icipat ion in Wat er Governance

Possibl e Concerns t o Consider in

Discussion of t his Approach

Discussant s f ound t hat ?dist ance?, bot h physical and symbol ic, is a l arge obst acl e t o publ ic part icipat ion. Decisions about one?s l ocal wat er are of t en made in t he meet ing room of a st at e agency in t he st at e or provincial capit al or in t he regional of f ice of a f ederal regul at ory body. Even where individual cit izens f ind t he inf ormat ion al ert ing t hem t o a government al del iberat ion on wat er, t hey may f eel l ike byst anders t o argument s bet ween ?expert s? wit h various agendas or wit nesses t o baf f l ing t echnical present at ions. Discussant s f ocused on t he f ol l owing concerns: -

Many cit izens f eel t hat ?opport unit ies f or publ ic comment ? are hol l ow rit ual s wit h l it t l e opport unit y f or engagement . Dominat ion of regul at ory bodies by regul at ed int erest s and a ?revol ving door? bet ween execut ives of regul at ed indust ry and of f icial s of regul at ory bodies creat e a crisis of publ ic conf idence. Lack of ?user-f riendl y? dat a-bases and accessibl e and underst andabl e t echnical inf ormat ion make it dif f icul t f or members of t he publ ic t o engage in a meaningf ul way. ?Ref orm? may sol ve some publ ic part icipat ion def iciencies, but in some cases it may be necessary t o creat e new part icipat ory st ruct ures.

Approach E? Creat e and Sust ain Publ ic Part icipat ion in Wat er Governance Possibl e St eps t o Creat e and Sust ain Publ ic Part icipat ion in Wat er Governance Devel opment al discussion on t his Approach ranged widel y t hrough a number of general ?good government ? issues, incl uding open meet ings and records, civic educat ion, init iat ive and ref erenda, part icipat ory budget ing, pol it ical campaign f inance ref orm, and many publ ic engagement met hods. Whil e many of t hese avenues were seen as hel pf ul t o t he cause of publ ic part icipat ion in wat er governance, discussant s arrived at a pl ace of f ocus on impl ement at ions t hey f el t might be of part icul ar use in t he Great Lakes region and ot her areas of rel at ive wat er abundance. Possibl e st eps in creat ing and sust aining publ ic part icipat ion might incl ude: -

Devel op and dist ribut e publ ic educat ion mat erial s on t he variet y of publ ic part icipat ory model s t hat are used t o govern wat er int erest s or may be adapt ed t o t hat purpose. Require (and possibl y el ect ) cit izen represent at ives on wat er regul at ory boards and aut horit ies. Init iat e ?wat er del iberat ion days? where t he publ ic at -l arge may engage on part icul ar aspect s of wat er pol icy and may act as ?t own hal l s? t o recommend courses of act ion. Devel op l arge-scal e wat ershed/ basin ?congresses? are made up of represent at ives of smal l er wat ershed commit t ees f rom t he various t ribut ary rivers, f l owages, l akes and wet l ands. Look t o t hese ?wat er del iberat ion days? and ?congresses? f or direct ion on deeper perspect ives on wat er, suggest ions on improved wat er governance, opport unit ies f or int egrat ion of wat er management , and devel opment of a shared wat er narrat ive.

III. StartingPoint for TacklingWater Pollution

Approach F? Deal wit h t he Special Case of Nut rient Pol l ut ion

Thinking Behind t he Approach It was not surprising t hat a great deal of t he working group discussion about wat er issues in t he Great Lakes Region f ocused on t hreat s t o wat er qual it y. This seems t o be t ypical in areas of rel at ive wat er abundance, where percept ions of unl imit ed quant it ies may l ead t o overuse and abuse of wat er resources. Wat er qual it y may be degraded by a number of causes and part icul ar bodies of wat er of t en f ace very dif f erent wat er qual it y chal l enges. In our region t he chal l enges are as varied as resident ial and commercial devel opment pressure, invasive species, cl imat e changes, l arge-scal e ?indust rial ? agricul t ure, l oss of wet l ands, expansion of mining, energy generat ion and t ransport at ion, and a variet y of ot her pressures f rom human act ivit y. Discussant s f el t it might be hel pf ul t o expl ore some narrower aspect s of wat er qual it y issues as a way of t hinking t hrough some of t he appl icat ions of Approaches A t hrough E. They al so f el t it might be hel pf ul f or f ut ure cit izen discussion t o st art wit h some aspect s of wat er qual it y t hat are not dif f icul t t o underst and and t hat have sol ut ions t hat are not overl y compl ex. Their consensus was t o expl ore t he mat t er nut rient pol l ut ion of our wat ers.

Approach F? Deal wit h t he Special Case of Nut rient Pol l ut ion

Possibl e Concerns t o Consider in Discussion of t his Approach Nut rient pol l ut ion t akes a number of f orms and comes f rom a number of sources. The chief ones considered here are t he el ement s nit rogen and phosphorous. Nut rient s accumul at e in wat er bodies t hrough nat ural processes, but human act ivit y can accel erat e t hat accumul at ion at a pace f ast er t han our wat ers can handl e t hem. One of t he most not iceabl e ef f ect s of t he over-accumul at ion of nut rient s is eut rophicat ion of wat er bodies, encouraging prol if erat ion of al gae, and unbal ancing t he oxygen cont ent of t he wat er. The resul t s are ?pea soup? wat ers t hat st ink, t hat some species can no l onger t hrive in, and t hat hardl y anyone wil l swim in. Nut rient s in drinking wat ers are al so of publ ic heal t h concern. Nit rogen and phosphorous in our wat ers can originat e as point source pol l ut ion or non-point sources pol l ut ion. Phosphorous can al so resul t f rom dist urbance of nat ural organic sediment . Point source pol l ut ion is t raceabl e t o a singl e source or origin (somet imes a singl e pipe or t ank). Non-point source pol l ut ion usual l y accumul at es f rom wider sources and of t en originat es as run-of f f rom l and int o bodies of wat er. Nit rogen and phosphorous share some common origins (f ert il izers, animal conf inement , l andf il l s, indust rial wast e, et c) and discussant s here ident if ied a number of concerns about t he rol es of t hose sources: -

Apport ioning cont ribut ions and responsibil it ies of various sources of nut rient s is not cl ear in t he publ ic mind and is not easy f rom a regul at ory st andpoint ?Ownership? right s issues invol ving sept ic syst ems and f arms of t en overshadow environment al st ewardship issues Trends in agricul t ure t oward ?mega-f arms? creat e an int ersect ion bet ween manure issues and economic devel opment Fail ure t o upgrade urban inf rast ruct ure al l ows f aul t y st orm drain syst ems t o discharge nut rient s int o l akes and rivers?Lif est yl e? expect at ions about green l awns, parks, and gol f courses (sources of nut rient s and ot her cont aminant s) are not easy t o change

Approach F? Deal wit h t he Special Case of Nut rient Pol l ut ion

Possibl e St eps t o Deal wit h Nut rient Pol l ut ion Devel opment al discussion about nut rient pol l ut ion covered t he aspect s of al l t he above Approaches. Because of how dif f icul t it has proved f or wat er managers of singl e wat ersheds or syst ems deal wit h mul t ipl e pol l ut ion sources, Approach C (Int egrat e Wat er Management ) became t he primary l ens t hrough which discussant s here viewed t he overal l issue. Possibl e st eps t o deal wit h nut rient pol l ut ion might incl ude:

Educat e nut rient -producing part ies in t he range of nut rient reduct ion pract ices Devel op wat ershed-specif ic dat a and pl ans t hat reduce uncert aint y about nut rient sources and t heir cont ribut ions and responsibil it ies Fund inf rast ruct ure improvement s t hat deal wit h st orm wat er run-of f and wast ewat er syst em f ail ures Limit t he numbers of l arge-scal e animal product ion f acil it ies and inst it ut e more rigorous oversight of manure st orage, t reat ment , and dist ribut ion pract ices Limit or prohibit nut rient appl icat ions on l awns, parks, and ot her publ ic green spaces

IV.LakeWebegoingCaseStudy

A?Not Bad?LakeNeartheGreat Lakes

Lake Webegoing (LW) is a 127 square mil e l ake in t he nort hern t hird of t he St at e of Superior and is part of t he six-l ake Chain O?Lakes f l owage (wit h Big Chain, Lit t l e Chain, Rust y Chain, Dog Chain, and Chain of Fool s l akes upst ream f rom LW). LW empt ies int o t he River of No Ret urns (RNR), which t urn ent ers Lake Git chigummi (LG) at t he port cit y of Dunl ap. LW st raddl es a count y l ine, wit h t he nort hern shore in Hardl uck Count y and t he sout hern shore in Prosperit y Count y. The Lac du Webegoing Ojibwe (LDW) Reservat ion incl udes t ribal l ands in bot h count ies, t wo isl ands in mid-l ake, and an abandoned US Army Corps of Engineers f acil it y where LW f l ows int o t he RNR (t ribal t it l e t o t he propert y has not been set t l ed, wit h t ribal act ivist s occupying it since 1983, t he St at e of Superior l it igat ing t he propert y?s st at us since 1984, and t he Bureau of Indian Af f airs ext ended ?t emporary? t ribal t rust l and st at us in 1985. The area underwent t he resource expl oit at ion cycl e common t o region: cl ear-cut t ing of t he pinery, copper mining, iron mining, and current pul p wood pl ant at ions. Despit e t his hist ory, LW is in ?pret t y good shape? according t o St at e nat ural resources managers and t heir LDW count erpart s. Nearby l ands have recovered f rom most of t he past abuses and current best conservat ion pract ices are general l y f ol l owed by al l part ies. Like many l argel y rural areas, improved wat er qual it y may have as much t o do wit h l ack of economic devel opment in t he region (up unt il now) as it does wit h conservat ion pract ices. The communit y of Nort hshore, Hardl uck Count y st ands on t he, wel l , nort h shore. It has ol der housing, boarded-up main st reet businesses, a baker?s dozen of t averns, t hree l arge mobil e home parks, some 1940s vint age t ourist cabins, and an out skirt f ringe of hunt ing camps t hat ut il ize t he massive acreage of t he surrounding Superior Publ ic Forest . The communit y?s l ake f ront age is primaril y marshl and f ed by a number of sout h-f l owing springs and shal l ow creeks. Recreat ional use is somewhat l imit ed because of t hese f eat ures.

Lake Webegoing Case St udy The communit y of Webegoing Est at es (previousl y t he vil l age of Mugwump) on t he sout h shore has t ransit ioned f rom a cl ust er of weekend cot t ages int o a gradual l y enl arging expanse of impressive l akef ront homes. The communit y has a t hriving marina, t hree wel l -regarded supper cl ubs, t wo l arge mot el s, and a number of art sy-craf t sy businesses t hat at t ract t ourist s. Two condominiums have been approved f or const ruct ion and an invest ment group is l ooking at t he communit y as a possibl e sit e f or a resort and gol f course. The communit y?s shorel ine is somewhat rocky, but sl opes quickl y t o deep wat er t hat provides decent navigat ion, a t hriving sport s f ishery, and recreat ional usages l ike jet skiing, wat er skiing, and wind surf ing.

Some Looming Issues LW area resident s and of f icial s f aces some addit ional chal l enges t hat may compl icat e wat er management : -

The invest ment group t hat hopes t o buil d t he resort and gol f course has a t erribl e environment al record in it s past project s. Big But t Oil Corporat ion hopes t o bring a t ar sands oil pipel ine t hrough an area upst ream at Rust y Chain Lake (t he same company experienced a signif icant pipel ine l eak t hat cont aminat ed a river in Ont ario). Ricket y Rail road is increasing rail shipment s of crude oil al ong it s LW nort h shore l ine (such oil t rains have ?bl own-up? several t owns t hey pass t hrough). Porker Packers, a l arge agri-business concern is l ooking t o possibl y sit e a 500,000 hog conf inement f acil it y near Nort h Shore because of avail abl e l ow-cost l abor f orce and l ack of regul at ion on such f acil it ies. A homeowners associat ion in Webegoing Est at es is gradual l y buying up boat l anding and f ishing pier easement s t hat have l ong provided publ ic access on t he sout h shore. The LDW t ribe expect s t o increase it s f ish harvest under t reat ies wit h t he f ederal government (t hey are al l ot t ed 10,000 f ish of f LW under a court set t l ement , but have never t aken more t han 5000)? wat er qual it y degradat ion f rom a cl osed paper mil l has caused t he cat ch in ot her area t reat y-covered l akes t o decl ine.

Lake Webegoing Case St udy

Governance Cont ext -

Government al unit s: 4 unincorporat ed t ownships (3 essent ial l y unpopul at ed and made up most l y publ ic f orest l ands and 1 t he ?suburbs? of Webegoing Est at es), 2 municipal it ies, 2 count ies, 1 publ ic f orest aut horit y, 1 t ribe, St at e of Superior, and t he US government . Main act ors: Webegoing Chamber of Commerce, Webegoing Homeowners Associat ion, Farmer?s Union of Hardl uck Count y, Prosperit y Count y Buil ders Associat ion, Nort h Shore Out doors Associat ion and Mil it ia, Sout h Shore Teabaggers and Ayn Rand Reading Group, and Unit ed Ojibwe Warrior?s Societ y. St at e st at ut es provide aut horit y (t hus f ar unexercised) f or t he l ocal government s around LW t o creat e a unif ied wat ershed commission, appl y f or f unding, use st at e t echnical and scient if ic resources, and devel op a consensus pl an. Nat ural resources agencies have 50 years of dat a on wat er, f ish, and ot her l if e in t he l ake and LW is on t he ?radar? of many out doors sport ing groups and environment al prot ect ion advocat es.

QuestionstoConsider -

What responseswouldyouexpect fromwhichmain actorsastheLWregiontriestomovetowardimproved protectionsof thelake?What typesof expectedand unexpectedalliancesmight developaroundindividual lakeprotectionissues? Youareonaninterimcitizen?scommitteetodevelopa proposal for aLWCommission,whichthreemattersdo youfeel theproposal needstoaddressfirst? Theinterimcitizen?scommitteeisdeadlockedover issuesrelatingtothehogconfinement facilityandthe resort andgolf course(jobs,environmental safeguards, aestheticconsiderations,andconflictingvisionsof the LWfuture),what sortsof compromisesandtrade-offs might beonthetable?

Resources General discussion guidebook on f reshwat er pol icy (pending) ht t p:/ / www.int eract ivit yf oundat ion.org/ resources-downl oads/ discussion-report s/ Nut rient pol l ut ion ht t p:/ / www.pca.st at e.mn.us/ index.php/ view-document .ht ml ?gid=7939 ht t p:/ / www.epa.gov/ nut rient pol l ut ion/ sources-and-sol ut ions Syst ems perspect ive on wat er? Wisconsin case st udy ht t p:/ / www.wisconsinacademy.org/ init iat ives/ wow Phot o Credit "Wat erdrop": Kris Eil ers "Canoe": Dennis Boyer Al l ot her images are l icense f ree and f or publ ic use. Guidebook Design by Sam Boyer