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January 2018

• GreenCorps members helping improve stormwater
• Proven stormwater practices demonstrate water quality benefits
• Recently funded stormwater projects
• MS4 survey results
• MS4 digital document library
• Limiting the impact of road salt
• Construction stormwater and frozen conditions
• Winter erosion and construction stormwater inspections
• Submit your industrial stormwater annual reports
• MS4 training on illicit discharges
• Upcoming industrial stormwater training workshops
• Webinar: Maximizing stormwater BMPs for phosphorus removal
• Minnesota Stormwater Manual updates

GreenCorps members helping improve stormwater

Minnesota GreenCorps is an environmentally focused AmeriCorps program coordinated by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) that places members in organizations around the state to help address critical environmental issues. This year, five GreenCorps members are working on improving stormwater in Minnesota.  Steven Yang (far left) is working at the Capitol Region Watershed District in St. Paul on their stewardship grant project. He's coordinating inspections, calculating volume and pollution reductions using the minimal impact design standards calculator, producing GIS maps, and collaborating with community partners. At the Washington Conservation District in Oakdale, Drew Chirpich (second from left) is inventorying existing stormwater practices, assisting local units of government to prioritize repairs, and guiding seasonal maintenance crews. Drew is also working with the Master Water Stewards program and delivering education and outreach to agencies and community members.  At the Carver County Water Management Organization in Chaska, Jackie Seamans (third from left) is creating a stormwater pond plan for homeowners associations, developing new partnerships and materials for citizens, and assisting with aquatic invasive species work. Lauren Jensen (fourth from left) is working for Winona County designing outreach materials on sound stormwater practices for residents. She is also helping the City of Winona implement the water quality improvement plan for Lake Winona, and developing a comprehensive report on the Whitewater Watershed Project.  Emily Johnson (far right) is working at the Anoka Conservation District in Ham Lake where she is creating outreach and education materials and developing a grading criteria for stormwater practices. The aim is to improve the operation of poorly performing practices. If a Minnesota GreenCorps member would be helpful in your organization, go to the Minnesota GreenCorps web pages and sign up to be notified about future opportunities.

Proven stormwater practices demonstrate water quality benefits

Minnesota voters approved the Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment in 2008, which earmarked money for monitoring and improving water quality in the state. Some of those funds have supported stormwater projects. The Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) web site lists all the projects that have been funded and describes some of the stormwater projects that have succesfully improved water quality. Here are a few: 

City of Kimball: When the city was planning a street upgrade, it and the Clearwater River Watershed District saw an opportunity to correct some flawed infrastructure and renovate its urban stormwater management. The system now treats all the rainfall runoff before it leaves the city and enters the Clearwater River. Read the full story here

Atwater Cosmos Grove City (ACGC) School in Atwater: The Middle Fork Crow River Watershed District and the ACGC School used money from the City of Atwater and a Clean Water Fund Community Partners grant to incorporate porous pavers and a stormwater planter/tree trench in the school's courtyard. The school's ACGC Youth Energy Summit helped design and promote the project. Read the full story here.

Upper Villa Park in Roseville: The softball field is now irrigated with rainwater collected in an underground cistern. The $1.2 million project was designed to keep Lake McCarrons from turning green and to conserve drinking water. The systems will capture and filter 18.7 millions gallons of runoff, preventing 50 pounds of phosphorous from entering the lake annually. Reusing rainwater for irrigation will save up to 1.1 million gallons of drinking water each year. Read the full story here.

Serpent Lake, between Crosby and Deerwood: The Crow Wing Soil and Water Conservation District used  a $1.2 million targeted watershed grant to reverse the trend in declining water quality in Serpent Lake. The project included several best management practices, including rain gardens outside the Crosby City Hall. The cities of Crosby and Deerwood adopted ordinances that require new development to manage stormwater runoff. Read the full story here

Recently funded stormwater projects

The Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) recently approved funding for a variety of stormwater projects:

• The City of Forest Lake ($220,000) — A regenerative-air street sweeper to keep 140 pounds of sediment per year from going into Forest, Clear, Comfort, Shields, and Sylvan lakes
• Vadnais Lake Area Watershed Management Organization ($97,000) — Install an iron-enhanced sand filtration system, keeping eight pounds of phosphorus out of waters each year
  
• Lower Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization ($700,000)  — Stabilize approximately 300 feet of the Cherokee Heights ravine, which will reduce sediment and phosphorus loading to Pickerel Lake
• Minnehaha Creek Watershed District ($370,000) — Minnehaha Greenway, Blake Road stormwater management project 
• Comfort Lake-Forest Lake Watershed District ($135,000) — Alum treatment in Moody Lake. 
• Becker Soil and Water Conservation District ($376,250) — Several projects targeted at phosphorus reduction, including shoreland stabilization, native shoreland buffers, diversions, and raingardens. 
• Middle St. Croix River Watershed Management Organization ($33,440) — Install up to 20 low-impact stormwater practices to address stormwater from a 1,852-acre pipe shed discharging to Lake St. Croix
  
• Shingle Creek Watershed Management Commission ($267,040) — Alum treatment in Bass and Pomerleau Lakes to reduce internal phosphorus loading 

Stormwater projects have also been funded under Clean Water Section 319 for fiscal year 2017:

• Carnelian-Marine-St. Croix Watershed District:

              ($92,588) — Reduce phosphorus loading and sedimentation to the St. Croix River
              ($76,000) — Design and install up to four stormwater improvement practices to reduce
              phosphorus loading to Goose Lake

• Washington Conservation District ($300,000) — Design and install up to sixteen stormwater improvement practices in the St. Croix Watershed to reduce phosphorus loading
  

If you are looking for sources of funding for your stormwater project, go to the Funding page in the Minnesota Stormwater Manual. 

MS4 survey results

Last fall, the MPCA surveyed local MS4 stormwater program staff to identify theit technical assistance and outreach needs, and 115 responded

More than 70% of respondents say they would benefit from technical assistance and outreach, particularly in  post-construction stormwater management, total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), and overall permit compliance. Specific topics of interest include:

• Employee training modules
• Determining stormwater pond effectiveness for managing total suspended solids and total phosphorus
• Enforcement response procedures

Most respondents would prefer to get their technical assistance through fact sheets/guidance documents or webinars.More than 80% indicated that they would be interested in model ordinance language for construction site stormwater runoff control and/or post-construction stormwater management. More than 70% would be interested in connecting with partners to fulfill the public education and outreach requirements of the MS4 General Permit.

The electronic survey was open from early October to early November and was promoted in the fall issue of MN Stormwater News, via email, in the Minnesota Stormwater Manual, and via partners such as the Minnesota Cities Stormwater Coalition.

For more, see the Survey Results page in the Minnesota Stormwater Manual.

MS4 digital document library

The municipal stormwater program recently launched an MS4 digital document library where the MPCA can store and circulate examples of documents used to manage SWPPPs. You'll find inspection checklists and forms, site plan review checklists, documentation tracking mechanisms, standard operating procedures, and more to help you implement your SWPPP. MPCA staff have reviewed the materials to ensure they all comply with the MS4 General Permit. Check it out today!

Limiting the impact of road salt

In the Twin Cities metro area, an estimated 365,000 tons of salt is applied to roads and sidewalks. Salt and other de-icing chemicals can travel with snowmelt and rain to surface waters where it only takes a teaspoon of salt to permanently pollute five gallons of water. This harms aquatic life and habitats and reduces water quality. Communities can reduce their salt use with best practices such as slowing salt application from salt trucks, calibrating their salt application technology annually, and training staff on salt application. Proper salt application can protect the environment and save your organization money. If you’re interested in learning more or becoming certified in snow and ice control, see the MPCA’s salt application training web page. Check if water near you is impaired for chloride with the Chloride Project Map. See the Winter Maintenance Assessment tool web page for additional ways to reduce salt use.

In the Twin Cities metro area, an estimated 365,000 tons of salt is applied to roads and sidewalks. Salt and other de-icing chemicals can travel with snowmelt and rain to surface waters where it only takes a teaspoon of salt to permanently pollute five gallons of water. This harms aquatic life and habitats and reduces water quality.

Communities can reduce their salt use with best practices such as slowing salt application from salt trucks, calibrating their salt application technology annually, and training staff on salt application. Proper salt application can protect the environment and save your organization money. If you’re interested in learning more or becoming certified in snow and ice control, see the MPCA’s salt application training web page. Check if water near you is impaired for chloride with the Chloride Project Map. See the Winter Maintenance Assessment tool web page for additional ways to reduce salt use.

Construction stormwater and frozen conditions

Is your construction site still active? Ensure that your erosion and sediment control best management practices (BMPs) are still installed according to permit timelines. BMPs must in place during frozen conditions to prevent runoff in the event of snowmelt or rain. But the type of BMP must be designed and installed to work in freezing temperatures. For example:

• Use straw mulch as a temporary erosion control instead of hydro mulch on snow-covered soils.
• Mulch on bare frozen soils will require spraying a tackifier or water over it to freeze it in place. 
• If installing erosion blankets on frozen soil, use nails with washers instead of staples.
• If the ground is too frozen for silt fence, try rock-filled logs that will conform to the ground without stakes.
  
• If there is enough snow around, you can pack snow berms as perimeter control until a more suitable measure can be installed.

Winter erosion and construction stormwater inspections

Weekly inspections are still required in the winter if construction is active. If work is suspended due to frozen conditions, weekly inspections are no longer required. However, the site must be inspected within 24 hours of any runoff event from snowmelt or rain that occurs prior to resuming construction. At that time, ensure maintenance is performed on failing BMPs. Keep records of all your inspection and maintenance activities.

Submit your industrial stormwater annual reports

It’s time for general industrial stormwater permitees to submit their annual reports; they are due March 31! The forms are available online:

• Microsoft Word form
  
• PDF form
  

Be sure to enter your permit ID number and data for all months your facility was active in 2017; for most permittees, that’s the whole year. Find detailed instructions on completing your annual report here.Submit electronic forms via email, or you can mail it in. 

Individual wastewater permittees with a stormwater chapter: Part of your requirements include filling out an industrial stormwater annual report. This permit requirement is for permittees only; it is not required for those who have certified for No Exposure. Use the specific (and shorter!) version of the annual report form for you:

• Microsoft Word form
• PDF form 

Wastewater permittees: Consult your permit for your annual report due date. Please mail your completed annual report to: WQ Submittal Center, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 520 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, Minnesota 55155-4194

Questions? Visit the Industrial Stormwater Program web page, email stormwater program staff, or call  651-757-2119 or 800-657-3804 (non-metro only).

MS4 training on illicit discharges

The Minnesota general Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit requires training of all field staff in illicit discharge recognition and elimination (IDDE). This spring, the University of Minnesota Erosion and Stormwater Management Certification Program is offering a 2-hour IDDE workshop. The workshop meets the MS4 permit training requirement and covers the definition of illicit discharges, how to identify pollutants, how to track the pollutant sources, and response procedures. Attendees of this workshop are typically municipal staff who inspect storm sewer pipes,  respond to complaints,or are routinely in the field.  For more information and to register, visit the U of M web site.

Upcoming industrial stormwater training workshops

MPCA and the University of Minnesota are partnering to present these training workshops:

• Regulations, SWPPPs, Sampling and Monitoring Overview, Wednesday, April 18, White Bear Lake
• Development of your ISW Annual Training, Thursday, May 3, Chanhassen
• Development of your ISW Annual Training, Wednesday, May 16, White Bear Lake

Register today; workshops often fill up two to three weeks before the class. Visit the U of M Erosion and Stormwater Management Certification Program’s web site to register.

Webinar: Maximizing stormwater BMPs for phosphorus removal

Despite our best intentions, sometimes our stormwater best management practices don't do what we want or expect of them, particularly when we're trying to reduce phosphorus. Three expert speakers joined our webinar on Jan. 9 to discuss three important and perhaps not fully understood BMPs – wet ponds, bioretention, and street sweeping/litter management:

• Joe Bischoff, Principal Aquatic Ecologist, Wenck Associates, Inc.
• Andy Erickson, Research Associate, University of Minnesota - St. Anthony Falls Laboratory
• Sarah Hobbie, Professor of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota

The speakers talked about why these BMPs have often not achieved water quality goals for phosphorus and suggested approaches to maximize their pollutant removal effectiveness.

To watch the recorded webinar, visit the Webinar page in the Stormwater Manual.

Minnesota Stormwater Manual updates

The Minnesota Stormwater Manual passed 10 million hits in December, which reflects the wide interest in managing stormwater in Minnesota. We continue to look for ways to expand and improve the information in the manual, so please send us comments and ideas. Sustainability and green infrastructure  The Stormwater Manual has always emphasized low-impact development, including Minimal Impact Design Standards, but it's adding new content on green infrastructure and sustainable stormwater management, which aims to find ways to both manage stormwater and achieve non-stormwater benefits, such as improved habitat, energy savings, and climate resiliency. Check out some of the new pages, most of which are still in development: Overview of green infrastructure and low impact development Nomenclature and definitions for green infrastructure benefits Multiple benefits of green infrastructure and role of green infrastructure in sustainability and ecosystem services Green infrastructure benefits of bioretention Case studies for green infrastructure stormwater management Links and resources for green infrastructure Some other recent additions to the manual: Audit process factsheet and audit process webinar for Phase II MS4s: What to expect when the MPCA audits your stormwater program. Construction site inspection checklist – A checklist for MS4 staff who conduct construction site inspections; includes all the MS4 General Permit requirements. Site plan review guidance – How to review a site plan to ensure it meets all the MS4 General Permit requirements. Facilities inventory template – For documenting municipal facilities with the potential to impact stormwater, as required by the MS4 General Permit. Documentation to retain guidance – Describes the documentation and materials staff for small MS4 programs must retain. Self-audit guidance and self-audit webinar – How to conduct a self-audit on your stormwater program. MS4 webinars and videos – Main page for all MS4-related webinars and videos.

Newsletter contact

If you have questions about or suggestions for this newsletter, contact Anne Gelbmann, MPCA-St. Paul, 651-757-2384