Coordinated Mill Overlay, Sewer Expansion, and 5 Crosslake Runoff Retrofits

The Crow Wing Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) proposes to complete five stormwater best management practices (BMPs) that will remove 12 pounds of phosphorus and 1.2 tons of sediment per year from entering Cross Lake. The One Watershed One Plan (1W1P) Pine River and Crow Wing County (CWC) Water Plan identified a high ratio of impervious surface surrounding the lake and high value lake. The 2019 CWC Assessors Property Tax Assessment Reports Cross Lake contains over $422 million dollars of property values. To ensure Cross Lake lakeshore property retains its value, this project will implement a targeted and high priority stormwater project. The CWC Highway (HWY) Department identified 96 catch basins along County Road (CTY RD) 66. The Crosslakers Water Quality team completed stormwater product research, land-use cover data, mapping, public meetings, engineering, and survey design work. The project will solve a 30-year CTY RD 66 and city road stormwater problem which currently contributes 15.1 pounds of phosphorus and 2.7 tons of sediment per year to Cross Lake. To mitigate the runoff, the SWCD will partner with the CWC HWY Department, City of Crosslake, Crosslakers, Whitefish Area Property Owners Association (WAPOA) and with five landowners to complete five bioretention areas that will store 15-acre feet of water per year. This targeted approach reflects the lessons learned from SWCD's Island-Loon and Big Trout stormwater projects, which included use of media resources, site preparation, design components, communication, oversight of contractors, site inspections, proper maintenance, and project evaluation. The SWCD believes that if runoff problems are not addressed within Cross Lake that water clarity will continue to decline, negatively altering the quality of life and economic vitality of the City of Crosslake and CWC.