Stormwater Steering Committee Gearing Up

It's my impression that the Minnesota Stormwater Steering Committee is gearing up for some exciting progress: Workgroups are being formed and workplans are being finalized. A new employee at the PCA is now dedicated to working on the long-overdue stormwater industrial permit (in the absence of EPA direction) ... and the Steering Committee has a workgroup dedicated to helping PCA staff write that permit. Oh, and the Pollution Prevention unit at the PCA now has a complimentary workgroup (the Low-Impact Design workgroup) on the Steering Committee.

A Web-based forum will soon give SSC workgroups the ability to communicate effectively between meetings.

Bad Raindrop

A still image from the 1948 Forest Service cartoon-movie "The Adventures of Jr. Raindrop." Watch the video

Will climate change change stormwater?

At the water issues meeting on April 27, MPCA Peter Ciborowski (Air Assessment & Environmental Data Management--and resident expert on climate change) provided a thorough and engaging presentation to a packed audience on potential impacts of climate change on water resources. As a follow-up, the Water People will hold a meeting on May 11 (internal) to discuss it:

How does climate change affect some of the not-so-obvious programs, such as decisions made at remediation sites or sizing decisions for stormwater?

By the way, the new stormwater manual, put out by the Stormwater Steering Committee, has a chapter (PDF) on unified stormwater sizing criteria.

Unrelated story

Last night I was in a serious car accident, but no one was hurt seriously. In fact, all four carpool passengers are back at work in St. Paul this morning. I'm a little sore.

It was raining hard and we were headed north on 35W in the right lane, when a 1989 Cadillac dropped its left tires onto the softened shoulder, lost control, then careened into the side of our 2003 Buick LeSabre. Our car was turned to the left and we shot across the left lane, down into the grassy median--sideways--then north onto the southbound passing lane. Our driver, my mother-in-law, was able to steer the car back into the median before we were met by any traffic.

No one was seriously hurt--apparently the drivers of the Cadillac are OK, too. The drivers' side, side-airbag probably saved our driver's shoulder, but the woman on the left in the back seat was taken for X-rays as a precaution. Only one window shattered, but there was glass and mud everywhere inside. Both passengers in the back seats found glass later in their hair and clothing--even in their nose and ears.

We're thankful to be alive and I thank God for saving us. He's faithful.

'What does this have to do with stormwater?' you're asking yourself, right? None, really, except that rain contributed to the accident and a stormwater blogger has only a crick in his neck after what could have been a major disaster.
-Dan

Hard soil

It rained all weekend, but we still managed to get some trees and plants in the ground. We ordered trees through the local conservation district--they were delivered this weekend so there wasn't any choice. Meanwhile, I was dead-set on getting gutters and a rain barrel set up, but it didn't work out. I had planned to get up on a ladder even if it was raining. (Watching the water drip away was disappointing.) But the lawn was thirsty and I think it should go green as soon as the sun comes back.

One thing though ... while digging holes for new trees, we found gravel-ly dirt right under the grass. Aha! that's what I thought: They rolled out the sod on top of unprepared soil.

I've learned that while it is beneficial to a city's storm sewer system to have gutters drain onto lawns instead of going directly to the street ... soil under lawns in new developments is too compact to receive much water. Construction equipment used to build the house compact it down hard.
-Dan

MS4 program hits the big time

Yesterday, we had a full and overflowing group of representatives from MS4s who wanted to learn more about completing their application for a stormwater permit. We organized the meeting on short notice, so the rooms available in St. Paul were crammed with folks, notebooks in hand. I can't say a good time was had by all, but it was encouraging that a lot of people had their questions answered. I'm going to try and get some of the materials used by the trainers onto the beautifully redesigned and more ergonomic MS4 page. (Be sure to hit your browser's refresh button if you've been to the site before or you won't see the new design.)
-Dan

Free water?

A neighbor in Cambridge said he'll green up his grass when he turns on his well-water fed irrigation system. Pretty handy for those with a well. But at my house in town, the grass is the color of sunbleached hay. It's a combination of not enough water and the fact that they dropped the sod on top of sand that's packed hard by heavy construction equipment. So basically, the grass is on a skillet and it hasn't got a chance unless we get a ton of rain. I'm planning to put in gutters on one side of my house to drain into a rain barrel so I'll have some water, but I got to thinking--what if I diverted water from my kitchen sink!? Clean enough, I guess. So I shot the question off (worded specifically not to incriminate me) to Bill Dunn, an MPCA wastewater expert. His reply:

Kooks will do almost anything. People on holding tanks are also equally creative. Technically, gray water is sewage and regulated as such. Meaning proper treatment. One has to wonder why they would do it and if the grass would die.

I'll stick with gutters and rain barrels for watering my lawn ... until I think of something else.
-Dan

Leftover permits

I'm working on a postcard to construction site owners and builders to encourage them to keep erosion under control at their sites ... and I'm finding that many (300 or so) have permits that aren't terminated going way back into the 90s. Our county/watershed district partners have gone to these sites and determined that construction is in fact done. The file is 'closed' at the MPCA, but the permit isn't terminated. This means that if there is a stormwater problem on that site, they could still be held liable, even if they're sipping cool drinks in Florida ...

Rain harvesting

This summer I'm going to install gutters on the east side of my house and plant a rain barrel under the downspout. My main reason for doing this is because I have city water that costs money and I'd like to water my lawn. So, you see, I'm starting to see water as a resource ... The wheels are turning.

Got stormwater issues?

If you're free, send me a message, and let me know how you'd like to get stormwater information from the MPCA. There are efforts underway to make the agency more accessible--Web conferencing, podcasting, etc., but I'd like to hear how you'd like/or not like to hear stormwater news from the MPCA. Speaking of which, there is a stormwaternews e-mail list that I send out news through, occasionally. You may want to join if you want to get the big, official stormwater news from the agency.

Here's the skinny: To sign up,
To subscribe, send an e-mail to majordomo@lists.state.mn.us with the following in the message body:

subscribe stormwaternews \ your e-mail address

Thought you might like to know.

Slimmer streets, cleaner water?

In an April 12 story in the South Washington County Bulletin, writer Tom Kaiser reports that the city of Cottage Grove approved a plan to narrow a limited number of streets in a new development to test the public safety/ecological benefits.In the Minnesota Stormwater Manual (ch.4, pg.9), narrower streets is listed as only one of a variety of 'better site design' techniques for restricting the spread of impervious surfaces. Narrower sidewalks, smaller cul-de-sacs, and shared driveways are also offered.

Rain gardens growing more popular

According to the Metropolitan Council, rain gardens are catching on across the region. Read the story in the Met Council's Directions e-newsletter.

And don't forget the 'danger' posed by rain gardens in this Pioneer Press story.

A clean sweep

I took a long weekend--and spent a few hours on the front lawn watching the world go by with my year-old son. Because I'm 'into' stormwater, I did pay attention to the vacuum-type street sweeper that noisily--and slowly--rounded the corner nearby. It occured to me that it would take a lot of time to catch all the streets in Cambridge at that pace.

The MPCA recommends at least two city sweeps every year:
1. Right away in the spring--just as soon as the snow melts
2. In the fall, to gather up all the leaves.

The BMP Summary Sheets (required under the MS4 Permit) make it clear that street sweeping isn't required:

Although not specifically required by the MS4 permit, street sweeping has been demonstrated to be an effective stormwater management BMP when properly conducted. The MPCA is considering developing a study on street sweeping and your information would be helpful in developing such a study.

Beat up silt fences

According to the MPCA stormwater program, the top stormwater violations in construction are missing or unmaintained erosion and sediment controls--especially silt fences.
In particular, they find that silt fences are getting battered because sites are missing upgradient (higher on a hill) erosion controls, like mulch and seed blankets. When those aren't in place to keep the sediment from moving in the first place silt fences are overburdened.

Reinforcing the enforcement

This afternoon, I'm going to the 2006 MPCA Enforcement Conference. I beat out other folks at the agency who wanted a seat there, so it must be a must-see. Never been there, but I'm told that the two-day conference is a good way to get to know how the MPCA works. It looks like the head of the stormwater program, Mark Schmitt, will give some updates ... enforcement coordinator Ken Moon will speak too.

As much as we work to be a partnering, collaborating and assisting agency (even more so with the merger with the Office of Environmental Assistance, which is now part of the Prevention and Assistance Division), the MPCA will always have to be a regulatory/enforcement agency.

Expect supplemented guidance for MS4s
Stormwater program leaders at the MPCA say they'll be adding some additional information to instructions for the BMP Summary Sheet document. They said it won't be a "revision" and that nothing will be changed to the requirements. The sheets I'm talking about are at the MPCA's MS4 site.

Star Tribune presents both sides of impaired water dilemma

Sunday's Star Tribune provided an in-depth look at the dilemmas facing Minnesota in cleaning up our polluted waters. Reporter Tom Meersman interviewed both environmentalists, MPCA and cities about clean water and development issues. Assistant MPCA commissioner Lisa Thorvig also contributed comments:

The Clean Water Act does not require that water be drinkable, but that it be swimmable and fishable. Lisa Thorvig, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's assistant commissioner for water policy, said that about two of every five lakes and rivers checked so far have failed that test.

The story's really about pollution from wastewater plants, but there are some parallels with stormwater--new developments add impervious surfaces which channel dirty stormwater into lakes.

Identify impaired or 'protected' water near you
Whether you're a developer or you're just curious, you should check out the Special and Impaired Waters search tool at the MPCA construction stormwater Web site. You can zoom in to a particular area of interest--Roseville (take a look at the picture below) for instance--and see whether its lakes are listed by the MPCA as being polluted (i.e. impaired) for things like excess nutrients, chloride and/or mercury.Anyone can see the quality of surface water in Minnesota lakes and rivers with the MPCA's GIS mapping tool. Here's a map of Roseville. © 2006 MPCA

With the tools on the left side of the page, you can ID locations, measure distances and more through the power of GIS mapping. This could come in handy for construction site operators who need to maintain specific distances from 'special waters' like wetlands.

New staff member to improve program effectiveness
Paul Leegard will start Wednesday, May 3, in the MPCA’s Stormwater Policy and Technical Assistance Unit. Paul will be taking the new Program Analyst position. Paul will analyze and map the agency’s business processes and data management needs then advise on improvements. He comes to the MPCA with a great deal of experience doing this type of work with DEED, Mn/DOT, and Anoka County.

April rain
A lot of the rain that came last night missed my home north of the Twin Cities, but on the way in to work today it looked like the St. Paul area got socked. The gas station across the street has a large puddle that turns the station island into an island. Which reminds me that gas stations and other fuel-filling locations are called 'potential stormwater hot spots' (PSHs--another acronym) in Chapter 13 of the Minnesota Stormwater Manual. That means the water could be easily contaminated and if allowed to infiltrate freely (through a rain garden, e.g.) the pollutants could reach ground water.

Minnesota and Wisconisn shake hands over St. Croix
According to a story (States to sign deal protecting St. Croix) in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Minnesota and Wisconsin have agreed to a voluntary goal for the reduction of phosphorous in the St. Croix River. Quotes from the story--an assistant commissioner from the MPCA is quoted:

[S]tudies have shown that agriculture and increased development in the river's 7,760-square-mile watershed over the past half-century have funneled more phosphorus to it. A 2004 report predicted the river's water quality would continue to decline unless regulatory practices in the watershed change.

Population in the river's watershed is projected to increase 40 percent from 2000 to 2020, with St. Croix and Washington counties showing particularly strong recent growth.

Agricultural runoff and wastewater treatment plants already have been identified as key culprits.

"This isn't something that is required; it's something that's trying to get ahead of the game to keep waters from becoming further polluted,'' said Lisa Thorvig, assistant commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

The St. Croix River, Somerset Township
Image from the Metropolitan Design Center Image Bank © Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

A good sign














Keep the dirt where it is. A photo taken during the tour taken with Watershed District stormwater partners (JPAs) April 4. Photo © 2006 MPCA

Frozen culverts cause isolated flooding in Red River Valley
Dan Olson (MPCA), who works out of the agency's Detroit Lakes office, said the Fargo Forum web site is a good place to see flood preparations and predictions for NW Minnesota. In an e-mail, Dan said:

There is a lot of [spotty] overland flooding going on in this region because in some places the culverts are still frozen and the water is backing up into fields.

Preparing a farm for floodwaters
Plenty of state agencies are working to prevent damage from the floods in the Red River Valley. The MPCA, I'm told, is assisting as well--but won't come to the fore until floodwaters recede.

The MPCA is urging farmers to get rid of manure stockpiles and to divert water from manure storage locations. Tanks, underground and above-ground, are also a pollution concern. Beside anchoring tanks, the MPCA recommends filling farm tanks with "product" to keep them from floating and to shut all emergency valve in case tanks are bumped or moved.
I'll try to get in touch with our feedlot communication person to find out what's being done on the ground in flooded areas ... Check out the MPCA's feedlot information. Photo © MPCA

Flood: Moorhead protects stormwater infrastructure
Molly MacGregor (MPCA), who works out of the agency's Detroit Lakes office, said she spoke with Andy Bradshaw, stormwater coordinator the City of Moorhead. She writes:

In response to [your] question about stormwater and pollution, if it is not raining, then [Bradshaw said] the concern is to block anything that river water could back up into – the stormwater system, etc; The city has lift stations for some locations on the stormwater system where they will bring in a portable pump on a tractor (I am pushing my technical limits here!) and pump water out to keep pressure equalized on the city infrastructure. All new developments in Moorhead have stormwater detention ponds.

Here’s a link to how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers helped Breckenridge address flood mitigation after the 1997 flood – I was told that stormwater ponds that can be pump-out spots during a flood were part of this project.

The International Red River Board assessed how well the jurisdictions (ND, MN and Manitoba) followed up with flood forecasting and mitigation after 1997 – it doesn’t mention stormwater but it does mention the movement of hazardous materials and nutrients due to the 1997 flood.

Red River Valley Flooding II
Talked to Sam Brungardt (MPCA), our information officer responsible for emergency response: Sam said the PCA is ready to help the flooded areas in NW Minnesota, but it's main job will be after the flood--during the cleanup. But, he said, there's important information citizens and farmers can use to get ready for rising waters at the MPCA flood site. More later.
Floodwaters © MPCA

Red River Valley Flooding
Though there isn't any up-to-date information about this year's flood, you'll find comprehensive information about stormwater in the valley at the Red River Regional Storm Water Association Web site. Later this morning I'm going to find the fact sheets the MPCA has on stormwater and flooding--esp. as they relate to feedlots ... Thanks for reading.

Stormwater Generates Heat
Our own Ken Moon (MPCA), compliance coordinator reported through an EPA stormwater list serv (which you may have received) that staff inspected 25 percent of sites covered by an NPDES stormwater construction permit:

We are inspecting about 25% of the CSW sites annually using the States inspection program (this is impressive after phase II) and this presence is being felt by the regulated parties. It is generating other partnerships within the building communities, one example is a request for joint CSW training, as pressure by their members to avoid delays and (I would like to think) enforcement has prompted them to request it.

In Moon's report he said that, in part, because of help from members of a pilot partnering (PCA has partnered with a handful of SWCDs, counties, cities, watershed districts to have them do site inspections) arrangement, the stormwater program has become the top generator of enforcement actions at the PCA.
Stormwater inspectors take in a dirty site © MPCA

Stormwater Steering Committee
The Stormwater Steering Committee, the state-wide group that put together the Stormwater Manual--is gearing up for more hard work. Different work groups are being formed (meeting this Tuesday at 3) and we're going to get all coordinated-up ... I'll keep you posted. Oh, and if you're interested in MPCA's role in the Red River Valley, you'll find it at their Red River Valley of the North Basin page. Red River Valley Image © 2006 MPCA

Inspectors Already Busy

I talked to Paul Estuesta (MPCA), one of the stormwater inspectors at the agency today and asked when they were going to start their flurry of springtime inspections. (I was told the inspection schedule got heavy in the spring.) You've got it wrong, he said, I've been making construction site inspections all winter--to prove his point he grabbed the handful of enforcement actions he's started since Jan. 1, 2006.

Stormwater damage at a construction site.

Image from MPCA © 2006.

Road Salt
Yesterday I spoke with Tim Larson (MPCA), an individual who works on TMDL projects. I wanted to find out what I "needed to know" about chloride TMDLs. He said that there are several recommended BMPs for the application of road salt--and that Mn/DOT has been taking this bull by the horns. I didn't know that Mn/DOT has road temperature sensors across the state ... or that their trucks are equipped with road temperature sensing equipment.

Larson said the biggest problem with the application of road salt is the 'bouncing effect' of dry, rock salt when it hits the road and goes for the ditch. He said ideally, the melting agent should be a liquid--and be applied before a snowstorm hits. That takes some coordination, but he said Mn/DOT does apply ribbons of the stuff on roads before a storm. Larson said in the best possible scenario, the salt goes on as a liquid and adheres to the road surface before the snow starts.

The cost of new, salt-efficient equipment for trucks shouldn't really save enough money to justify throwing out old equipment, Larson said, but new technology will probably be acquired with the retirement of the old stuff. Because the cost of salt is too low, there isn't a strictly economic incentive to change it out. But the cost on the environment is significant.

Water in the state is getting listed on the impaired waters list for chloride. Larson said chloride (for the most part) doesn't enter Minnesota waters from Minnesota sources--nearly all of it is applied in road salt.

I'm still learning ... Don't forget the Road Salt Symposium in St. Cloud, April 5, 2006.

MPCA Commissioner Kicks Off LID Workshop
Site designers who use 'low-impact design' are going to find economic as well as environmental benefits.
At the Minnesota Arboretum March 21, MPCA commissioner Sheryl Corrigan addressed an over-capacity workshop on LID techniques sponsored by the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District. She thanked participants for their interest in innovative approaches to stormwater management.
I'm hearing that the MPCA is working to organize a group to carry the message about stormwater pollution prevention across the state. Some of the members of this newly formed group may have attended this workshop. They're going to have to brush up on all the practical techniques homeowners can use to manage stormwater.
Photo courtesy Unsie Zuege, staff writer for the Chanhassen Villager

Minimum Control Measure #4: Construction Site Runoff Control
Well that's news to me. It was my thinking that MS4s wouldn't have to do much in the way of controlling construction site stormwater pollution because there's already a permit in place for construction-related stormwater.

In fact, MS4s are required under the new MS4 general permit to write an ordinance that holds developers/contractors to task for stormwater/litter controls at their construction sites. Specifically:

• An ordinance that makes BMPs sediment and erosion control necessary at construction sites that disturb over an acre (including ones less than an acre if they're part of a larger development)
• An ordinance that requires construction sites to control waste/litter
• Procedures must be in place for reviewing construction site plans, citizen complaints and for making site inspections.

Visual Guide to Stormwater Management: StormwaterAuthority.org

Whether you're a stormwater engineer, site owner/developer, contractor, or stormwater educator, you're going to like StormwaterAuthority.org, a Web site that's a compendium of national information on stormwater from the U.S. EPA, the Center for Watershed Protection, USDA, USGS, and state governments.

Beside BMP information, the Web site offers a regulatory link (at the top) which takes you to a state-by-state analysis of stormwater regulation. It's a good way to compare regulatory approaches and compare state regs with national ones. Minnesota's page is well organized.

Check out their library! It's loaded on all sorts of topics ... from SWPPPs to TMDLs. Their site is a cool blue color and looks professional. One neat feature is the BMP selector function for 'construction' and 'post-construction' BMPs:A list of BMPs for construction sites (above) leads to pages with descriptions (below).

Stormwater Isn't Clean Water
In my blog entry yesterday I talked about IDDE (not IEDs) as a requirement under the new MS4 General Stormwater Permit. While I've been brushing up on this MS4 permit, I've been writing a fact sheet on wastewater treatment in Minnesota and learned that it's not uncommon for wastewater to mingle with stormwater. (Very) interesting facts about wastewater:

• Domestic wastewater is 99.9% water, but it contains enough harmful material to damage the quality of ground water and surface water.
• Normal domestic wastewater is grey, resembling dirty dishwater
• Metals, organic pollutants, sediment, bacteria and viruses can all be found in wastewater
• It’s estimated that 39 percent of Minnesota’s backyard septic systems are not adequately treating wastewater. An estimated 12 percent (64,000) are classified as ‘imminent threats to public health and safety’

This is all to say that when sewer pipes are illegally (and sometimes mistakenly) connected to storm sewers, raw sewage trickles untreated directly into rivers and lakes. The job of Illicit Discharge, Detection and Elimination is to track down these connections. What's interesting is that testing water at outlets can sometimes 'fingerprint' the source.

Online permits a-coming
Tech staff might be looking for MPCA folks to test the new online construction stormwater permit as early as this week. When this thing comes through it will be a big help to MPCA staff and should also help construction companies and their consultants get permits fast and easy. Personally, I'm curious how easy it's going to be ... and whether it catches on. If you're in the business, let me know what you think about the plan or what you thought of the old online permit system.

Minimum Control Measure #3: Illicit Discharge, Detection and Elimination
Fondly known as IDDE, Illicit Discharge, Detection and Elimination is the third requirement in the six minimum control measures required by certain communities across Minnesota. Basically, an illicit discharge is when non-stormwater (wastewater, ground water, etc.) enters the storm sewer system. Check out the Center for Watershed Protection for more information.

Minimum Control Measure #2: Public Participation and Involvement
Public Participation and Involvement is the second of the six minimum control measures (MCMs) that MS4s need to include in their Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans. It seems to me that this is simply a complement to the first MCM (public education)--because it requires the MS4 to solicit ideas, suggestions and comments from their citizens about the adequacy of the best-management practices (BMPs) in their storm water plan. The requirements for MCM #2:

• Give citizens reasonable time to make oral statements
• Give consideration to submitted written statements
• Hold fair and orderly public meetings
• Adapt the SWPPP, if necessary, based on oral and written concerns

An example of good public participation: Patrick Henry delivering his celebrated speech (not about stormwater) in the House of Burgesses, Virginia - 1765 Library of Congress

Minimum Control Measure #1: Public Education and Outreach
As part of its MS4 General Permit application, cities like Cambridge, Minn. (my hometown) are going to have to put together a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) with 6 major components. As with all cities in the MS4 program, they're going to have to show progress toward "measurable goals" in each of the minimuim control measures in their annual report to the MPCA.
Joe's Lake Road, Cambridge, Minn. Image from the Metropolitan Design Center Image Bank © Regents of the University of Minnesota. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

The first minimum control measure is to get a Public Education and Outreach program going. It means that Cambridge will have to put together a program that educates citizens about the need to reduce stormwater discharges to the Rum River. The SWPPP will have to be pretty detailed about audiences and goals, desired changes in behavior, schedules and measures that will be used to grade educational effectiveness.

One requirement is to show what local organizations are doing in the area of stormwater education. If cities take this requirement seriously, they might find some synergy with local watershed organizations that will help reach citizens with the stormwater message. It's a thought.

Homeowners: Keep Stormwater Clean
1. Use plants to keep your soil from washing away
2. Use non-phosphorous fertilizer on established lawns
3. Mulch and compost grass clippings and leaves
4. Reduce water runoff with a rain garden and a rain barrel
5. Keep paved surfaces to a minimum
6. Wash your car on the lawn
7. Keep chemicals away from storm sewer drains
8. Pick up pet waste
9. Aim gutter downspouts onto grass


Your favorite lakes and rivers are fed by your storm sewer.
© 2006 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Stormin' the State Fair
Work is underway to make a stormwater display for the 2006 Minnesota State Fair. The graphics and text are coming together for a large colorful display that trumpets the need for stormwater pollution/volume reduction. Of course it's hard to translate "wastewater treatment facility" and "phosphorous" into language children will understand, but it's coming and it's beautiful.

On the List for the New MS4 General Permit
My hometown of Cambridge (pop: 5,520 in 2000 census) made the list of cities with a population between 5,000 and 10,000 that need to get coverage under the MPCA's new MS4 General Permit. I haven't been active in local politics, but I imagine my city planner/engineer is going to be busy trying to meet its requirements by Feb. 2007.

Rum River Copyright © 2002 Cambridge Area Chamber of Commerce

Cambridge is one of several cities that hosts the 'wild and scenic' Rum River. Even though it's a relatively small city--because it's located on an 'outstanding resource value water', city managers are going to have to meet some of the same stormwater management challenges faced by larger, urbanized areas like St. Cloud, Rochester and Moorhead.

It was Minnesota Rule 7090, put in effect Aug. 2005, that finally wrapped my hometown (and maybe yours) under the federally mandated water-protection rules.

When I get a chance, I'll try to outline some of the things smaller, previously unpermitted cities are going to need to do by next February.

Constructing an Online Construction Permit
A manager in charge of the stormwater program at the MPCA said he expects the online stormwater construction permit to be ready for the public by April 1. The new system should allow regulated parties to exit the application process then start again where they left off. It should also allow them to pay the permit fee online. The hope is to get everyone online--eventually. Online permit applications will allow construction site operators / owners a shorter wait-time. They'll be allowed to break soil after 48 hours and not wait seven days under the paper application process.
Without an online process in place, the agency will be flooded (like this 100-year storm event) with more and more paper applications. Picture © 2006 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Great Images of Metro Stormwater Management
Check out the over 17,000 shots of the Twin Cities by the Metropolitan Design Center--including many good aerial shots of stormwater ponds (this link is to a slide-show), etc. I was sent this link by Ron Struss of the University of Minnesota Extension Service. He writes:

This site is loaded with excellent photographs of Twin Cities water resources, predominately aerial shots. It is supported with a basic search engine that allows you to locate photographs by Cities, Bodies of Water, Parks, Roads, Landmarks, Developments, and Structures. An advanced search engine allows for even more detailed searches. They also have pre-made slideshows - ones of interest are titled "Growth/Sprawl", "Impervious Surfaces" and "Stormwater". If you like a particular picture in a slide show, you can search by photo number to download a copy.

Here's a picture of the Minneapolis skyline behind Lake of the Isles, Cedar Lake, and the Cedar Lake constructed wetlands.


© Regents of the University of Minnesota. Used with the permission of Metropolitan Design Center.

MPCA Partners With Lake Superior Streams
Lake Superior Streams is working with the MPCA to create a Web-based Design Kit that gives Duluth-area residents everything they need to know about reducing stormwater and stormwater pollution. The techniques described in the Design Kit are known by many names: Better Site Design (BSD), Low Impact Design (LID), Conservation Design, Smart Growth ...

"Lake Superior Streams is collaborating with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s Pollution Prevention staff and others to include information from these approaches that will be useful to homeowners, contractors, developers, contractors, realtors and governmental agencies and decision-makers with the goal of reducing stormwater flows and pollutant loads in order to protect or restore our regional water resources."

The Web page Design Kit gives everyone ideas for everything from pervious pavers to rain barrels.

The Perils of Stormwater Management
One thing Minnesota stormwater managers don't need to worry about ...

This picture was taken at the Orlando Airport.

Minnesota Stormwater Blog

Stormwater Program Gears for New Season
It's difficult to talk about stormwater when you're anticipating 4-7" (or 5-9") inches of snow to blanket the southern half of Minnesota before tomorrow noon. That should make for a crazy commute. On the positive side, the cold snap puts off that inevitable flush of salt- and pollutant-filled water rushing into our favorite lakes and rivers.

The MPCA stormwater program is gearing up for a busy season with its regulated parties--the MS4 permit hit the books and permitted construction-sites will be watched more as it warms.

One big development this spring is online MPCA permitting (not yet available, but soon) for NPDES/SDS (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System/State Disposal System) construction stormwater permits. There was an online permitting system in place last year, but it was withdrawn because of technical difficulties.

Now, I'm told, it should be in place before the spring rush--allowing permitted parties to begin construction much sooner than allowed under the current system. If a construction owner/operator applies for a stormwater permit today, they're required to wait 7 days from the postmarked date of their application before they drop the spade. Under the upcoming online process, construction may begin 48 hours later.

I'll give word when I get the news that the online process is up and running. Or better yet, add MPCA's Construction Stormwater Web site to your "favorites" menu and watch for its release yourself!

Minnesota Stormwater Blog

Subscribe to the MPCA's Stormwater News E-mail Listserv
I manage the listserv for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's stormwater program. Every week or so (sometimes more often) I send out news related to stormwater. We've got about 700 people across the state who want to get an e-mail when important stormwater news happens at the MPCA. For example, in February, I sent an e-mail about the revised MS4 (Municipal Small Separate Sewer System) General Permit (you'll have to scroll down on this link because the new permit/application is near the bottom of the page). Want to
sign up for the stormwater news listserv?
Minnesota Stormwater Blog

Event: Tuesday, March 21, 8:30 - 4:00
'The Latest in Low Impact Development:
Engineering and Landscape Design'
When: Tuesday, March 21, 8:30 - 4:00
Where: The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chanhassen
Got this one across the e-mail: It's not to late to sign up for this event, but they have limited space. MPCA commissioner Sheryl Corrigan will make some introductory remarks at the event and the Stormwater Program will have a display promoting the new Stormwater Manual.
To register, call the Arboretum at 952.443.1422 For more information, see http://www.minnehahacreek.org/.

Lilacs at the Arboretum © 1998 by the Regents of the University of Minnesota

Before the Snow Came


The blankets of beautiful snow that hid the cigarette butts, pop bottles and fast-food wrappers are rudely tossed aside by the warm weather we're having. Trash is the more obvious, but overlooked player in the menu of chemical and soil contaminants that are carried by stormwater into our favorite fishing holes and swim spots.

Frozen Stormwater: It's Going to Melt, Baby
Out my window at work right now, I see blowing snow, ice--and future stormwater. It took me three hours to travel the normal one-hour trip to work. If you're a stormwater runoff watcher, as I've become, you probably saw a lot of mud and dirt and pools of stormwater runoff in that thaw we had last week.
Even if we didn't get a lot of snow this time 'round, keep this in your mind for future reference: Ice and snow piled at the edges of parking lots can be full of road salt and chemicals. Those drifts hold the pollutants until spring, when they're released suddenly--at a time when the hydrologic cycle is least able to handle it.
The MPCA's Keith Cherryholmes gave a Jan. 11 interview with Kare 11 about the effect of salt in snowmelt:

Over the years, the salt has melted the ice then been dissolved by the resulting water and that salt filled water has run into wetlands, ponds, lakes and streams. "It doesn't go away. It doesn't get eaten by bacteria. It doesn't evaporate. It just builds up and builds up," says Keith Cherryholmes of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

The story also announced that the University of Minnesota's Center for Transportation Studies is offering its Annual Road Salt Symposium. Sheryl Corrigan, commissioner of the MPCA, will deliver opening remarks at the April 5 event.
Minnesota Stormwater Blog

Don't be the Weakest Link
Add your stormwater-related link to the Minnesota Stormwater Blog! Send me an e-mail at danielmclean9 at gmail.com (replace the "at" with an "@")
Minnesota Stormwater Blog

Good Housekeeping at the Construction Site

1. Slope Stabilization
Mats, mulches and blankets get grass to grow and hold the soil in place until roots get a hold.

2. Perimeter Control
Silt fences stop silt in muddy water--but let the water go on through.
3. Maintained Silt Fences
Silt fences work, but they need to be replaced if they tear or fill with dirt (when they've done their job). You should replace them when dirt reaches the 1/3 the height of the silt fence's original height.
4. Gravel for Dirty Tires
A rock construction exit knocks mud off truck tires before it's tracked onto roads and finds its way into storm sewers.
5. Storm Sewer Inlet Protection That Worked
There are a variety of storm-drain protection techniques that do the trick. This one's a dirty one, but it caught the dirt before it filled a stormwater pond or muddied a stream. If you're looking for how-to instructions for keeping a clean construction site, check out this construction site field guide for stormwater management--and don't forget to check out the new Minnesota Stormwater Manual, and of course, you can always come back here, to the Minnesota Stormwater Blog!

Get More E-Mail!

I've found the cure for anyone with low-flow in their inbox. Go to https://lists.epa.gov/read/all_forums/ and sign up for one of the U.S. EPA's e-mail listserv options. I signed up for Region 5 news this morning ... It looks like they send out a fair number of them. Maybe every week or every couple days.
Minnesota Stormwater Blog

The Top Five Construction Stormwater Permit Violations:

1. Poor Slope Stabilization: Without stabilization, soil is vulnerable to stormwater erosion.

2. No Perimeter Controls: Without a silt fence, water carries sediment into lakes and rivers.

3. Silt Fences Not Maintained: Silt fences only work for so long, and then they need maintenance to work again.
4. Vehicles Tracking: Without a gravel pad, vehicles track dirt onto paved roads.
5. Missing Inlet Protection: Without inlet protection, sediment and litter fill storm drains.
Minnesota Stormwater Blog

It's About Our Environment

This is my first post to a site dedicated to preventing stormwater pollution in Minnesota. I came to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) in Aug. 2005 and I've been helping the stormwater program develop communication tools.

I'm new to stormwater, but I'm new to environmental protection in general. Before I came to the MPCA, I worked as an editor of a small newspaper in Scandia, MN called the Country Messenger (link may not work yet because the newspaper is developing a Web edition right now). Water issues were big there, especially for the residents of Marine-on-St. Croix who were getting into some contentious planning committee meetings over "impervious surfaces" and "viewshed."