Construction has begun on stormwater management and habitat improvements on the northern portion of Columbia Golf Course and Columbia Park. New stormsewer pipes, stormwater best management practices (BMPs) and habitat restoration will improve water quality, reduce flooding, improve ecological systems, and enhance golf play and other recreational opportunities in Northeast Minneapolis.

Phase 1 of the project, which began in October 2020 and will continue through February 2021, includes replacement of existing stormsewer pipes with a new, larger capacity stormsewer, along with earthwork and mass grading as part of the stormwater BMP construction. In addition, the construction crews installed several hydrodynamic separators. These underground systems filter pollutants out of the portion of stormwater runoff that drains from Northeast Minneapolis through the golf course and into the Mississippi River.

Phase 2 will run from May through August 2021. This phase will include final grading, park and golf course restoration, and native seeding for permanent habitat restoration. You can learn more about the project, including details on temporary public impacts and photos and videos of the construction progress, via our recent blog post and project page.

Controlled Burns Begin Next Week at Columbia Park, Golf Course

In the coming weeks, visitors at Columbia Park and skiers at Columbia Golf Course may smell or see smoke from controlled burns of brush piles. The burns are scheduled to begin the week of January 18 and continue periodically through February.

Buckthorn, honeysuckle and other woody invasive species are being cleared and gathered into brush piles; controlled burning is recommended as an efficient and effective way to manage this type of debris, reducing impacts from heavy hauling equipment. Read more...

In October 2020, Minneapolis Public Works crews installed a stormwater pretreatment unit known as a hydrodynamic separator at the intersection of 35th Avenue NE and NE Tyler Street in Minneapolis. The underground system is designed to screen, separate, and trap trash, debris, sediment, and hydrocarbons from stormwater runoff. Located just one block east of the Columbia Golf Course, it will remove pollutants from stormwater that flows through the adjacent golf course and park, helping ensure the long-term functionality of the Northern Columbia Golf Course and Park BMPs project (see above).

Similar systems are currently being installed in the Columbia Golf Course and Columbia Park. You can learn more about how the pretreatment system works, and see photos of the installation process, on our project page.

During its virtual annual conference in December, the Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts named the MWMO’s video Sustainability at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden its “Best Picture of the Year.” The video, which was produced in-house by MWMO staff, explores the MWMO-funded stormwater management and water reuse features at the iconic Minneapolis park.

The video is among more than two dozen produced by MWMO staff in 2020. You can find them all on our YouTube channel, as well as our Facebook page.

Do you want to know how to minimize your environmental impact this winter? Learn how smarter winter maintenance practices can keep your sidewalk or driveway free of snow and ice without harmful chemicals on our Snow and Ice Removal page. There, you can also learn how to find a contractor certified in smart salting practices, and download handouts and other resources to share with others.

Learn More at Our Mini Maintenance Workshops!

If you’d like to learn more and ask questions about managing snow and ice, please join us at one of our upcoming Mini Maintenance Workshops by registering here February 1 or February 3.