Application of the Community-Based Watershed Management Planning Process to Preserve Cunningham Lake

The Community-Based Watershed Management Plan (CBWMP) for Glenn Cunningham Lake comes at a crucial moment in the reservoir's life. Experience with other Omaha Metro area reservoirs indicates that although significant land treatment in the reservoir's agricultural watershed translates to borderline acceptable water quality, significant watershed development will result in lake degradation and loss of beneficial uses. The potential for degradation was a focal point in the management planning effort with project stakeholders choosing to adopt an aggressive protection plan designed to maintain and enhance reservoir quality throughout watershed development. The project sponsors understand that development of a relevant and implementable management plan requires the formation of a broad-based coalition of public, private, and governmental stakeholders. To this end, the planning process was guided by a Watershed Advisory Council (WAC) comprised of watershed farm owners/operators, acreage owners, reservoir users, and concerned citizens. Additionally, technical guidance was provided throughout plan development by a Technical Advisory Team (TAT) comprised of personnel from ten local, state and federal agencies and departments with expertise ranging from water quality modeling to comprehensive land-use planning. Together, the WAC and TAT established water quality goals for Cunningham Lake and evaluated various combinations of structural and non-structural management practices designed to enhance and protect reservoir water quality, aesthetics, and recreational value now and into the future. After analyzing the various management strategies and protective management practices, the project stakeholders have chosen to adopt a comprehensive management plan that will buffer the reservoir from development-related degradation through a combination of structural protective measures and promotion of conservation-minded watershed development.