04-11-1988 - Agenda Packet City Council - regular meeting

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ABOUT THIS REPGRT The Twin Cities Metropolitan Area contains half of Minnesota's Population. 650 'akes and 400 miles of rivers and streams --waters that belong to the public. Yet puhlic access 'o many of *hese waters has been dwindling as people buy up waterside propert Because of inadequate access, Twin Cities Area lakes many are underused. To increase public access to area waters, the legislative Committee on Minnesota Resources (LCMR) recommended in 1979, that the State Planr,ing Agency(1), Metropolitan Council and Department of Natjral Resources (ONR) adopt a Cooperative Program for Providing Public Access Sites on Metropolitan Area Lakes. The Metro Water Access Task Force, with members from the three agencies, was created to coordinate public spending for the acquisition and development of water -access sites in the Metropolitan Area. The cooperative agreement forming 'he task force was revised in 1987. The revisions included reorganization of the task force and renaming it as the Metro Water Access Committee. Administrative staff of the committee meet approximately once a month to work toward the following goals: 1) identify Metropolitan Area 'akes found to be deficient in public water access; 1) rank the lakes ;n irder of priority; j) identify the most appropriate agency to provide a water access site(s) on a given lake; 4) target state and federal resources in a cooperative and coor- dinated manner to acquire and develcp access sites on lakes and river_ 5) publicize the l(,cation )f water -access sites. especially new ones; 6) identify new issues; and 7) Comm ^icate development progress. The 1987 annual report contains two sections and an appendix. The first section outlines the e••_omplishments of the Metro Water Access Committee in 1987. The second section describes the committee's 1988 work program. An •Fiendix includes two-year capital improvement programs for the ONR and Metropolitan Council. Data in the report comes from the three agencies. lakes identified in the cooperative program are more than 100 acres in size and over 100 feet deep. Each lake is grouped accordirg to s;ze, fishing potential and water clarity. 'he oub!ic water access funct,ons of t►+e state ►lann.ng Agency are now ar+d;ad by the Outdocr Recreation Grants Section of the Oepa►taent of !,ad* •nd Economic Development.