Stearns County SWCD Stump and Sagatagan Lakes Subwatershed Stormwater Treatment Projects

The Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District's (SWCD) Stump and Sagatagan Lakes Subwatershed Stormwater Treatment Projects will retrofit sub-catchment drainage areas on St. John's University (SJU) campus that drain untreated stormwater runoff directly into Stump and Sagatagan Lakes. This area of the region has been identified as ecologically significant by the Nature Conservancy's Eco-Regional Plan and the MN DNR's County Biological Survey. The Stearns County SWCD and SJU environmental staff have identified five sub-catchment watersheds within the campus adjacent to Stump and Sagatagan Lakes that presently have no stormwater treatment.

In all, eight separate stormwater practices will be constructed to treat the areas of runoff from impervious parking lots, sidewalks and buildings. The proposed practices will reduce sediment and nutrient loading, as well as hydrology fluctuations in Stump and Sagatagan Lakes. Both lakes have exceptional water quality for the North Central Hardwood Forest ecoregion and the intention of the project is to provide protection from stormwater impacts.