Interstate Valley Creek Streambank Stabilization and Stormwater BMP Project
This project will install streambank stabilization practices as well as stormwater BMPs to reduce stormwater volume along Interstate Valley Creek (IVC) in Mendota Heights to benefit both IVC and the Mississippi River. The projects have been identified and prioritized through the watershed-wide IVC Stabilization and Volume Reduction Study and are clearly targeted in the Lower Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization's (LMRWMO) Watershed Management Plan. Interstate Valley Creek drains through a steep ravine with a highly urbanized watershed that was developed without stormwater management and volume control practices. The area has limited access and has substantial active bank erosion, carrying sediment to the Mississippi River, which is impaired for total suspended solids (TSS). The project will also reduce E-coli from reaching IVC, addressing that impairment. The project includes three large scale streambank stabilization practices using rock toe stabilization and native vegetation bioengineering. It also includes three large scale stormwater bioretention and weir creation projects to reduce in-stream erosion and address the root causes of erosion: excess stormwater volume and peak flows. The six projects (shown in the attached graphic) will reduce total suspended solids (TSS) by 284 tons/year and phosphorus (TP) by 270 lbs/year.
Interstate Valley Creek runs through Valley Park in Mendota Heights which is a regional amenity and signature natural area within the watershed. The Park is receiving significant investment from both the City and Dakota County in separate adjacent natural areas restoration projects as well as upgrading of the trail along the stream corridor to be part of the new Dakota County River to River Greenway. The project will be completed in partnership with the City of Mendota Heights, Dakota County, and the Lower Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization.
Annie Felix-Gerth
(b) $8,500,000 the first year and $8,500,000 the second year are for grants to local government units to protect and restore surface water and drinking water; to keep water on the land; to protect, enhance, and restore water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams; and to protect groundwater and drinking water, including feedlot water quality and subsurface sewage treatment system projects and stream bank, stream channel, shoreline restoration, and ravine stabilization projects. The projects must use practices demonstrated to be effective, be of long-lasting public benefit, include a match, and be consistent with total maximum daily load (TMDL) implementation plans, watershed restoration and protection strategies (WRAPS), or local water management plans or their equivalents. Up to 20 percent of this appropriation is available for land-treatment projects and practices that benefit drinking water.
3 streambank stabilization projects and 3 large scale stormwater best management practices will be installed along Interstate Valley Creek to reduce total suspended solids (TSS) by 284 tons/year and phosphorus (TP) by 270 lbs/year.
LOCAL LEVERAGED FUNDS