Oak Glen Creek Stormwater Pond Expansion and Iron Enhanced Sand Filter Retrofit

This Oak Glen Creek stormwater pond expansion and enhancement using an iron enhanced sand filter (IESF) is a partnership between the Anoka Conservation District (ACD) and a private company to protect a downstream corridor stabilization and improve the quality of stormwater discharged to the Mississippi River. Very little stormwater infrastructure currently exists in the 573 acre Oak Glen Creek subwatershed, and it discharges 147,519 pounds of sediment and 353 pounds of phosphorus to the Mississippi River annually. Thanks to a previous Clean Water Fund grant, a project to stabilize a quarter-mile section of creek immediately downstream of this project will be substantially complete by the end of 2013. This stretch of creek was severely deteriorated due to extreme stormwater flow volumes and rates. The increased stormwater storage from this project will complement the stabilization efforts by providing a 51% reduction in peak flow rates. Additionally, the pond retrofit project is ideally located to treat 520 acres (90%) of the highly urbanized subwatershed fully developed prior to modern stormwater treatment practices. It will reduce annual sediment discharging from the site to the Mississippi River by 33% and total phosphorus by 31%.

The project is immediately upstream of drinking water intakes for Minneapolis and St. Paul and will benefit source water protection efforts. Collaboration between the ACD, City of Fridley, Coon Creek Watershed District (CCWD), and a local company (ConAgra) reflects the local and regional significance of this project.