School Site Assessment for BMP Retrofit

The Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District (District) has determined that large impervious sites (like churches, commercial sites, and schools) are more economical for stormwater management retrofit projects than distributed small projects along roadways. Analysis of the watershed land use indicates that large impervious sites are typically commercial properties (primarily retail), churches, and schools. The District began assessing church sites for retrofit opportunities in 2013 and will continue this effort in 2014. Church congregations tend to be receptive to partnering with watershed districts. Commercial and school property owners, however, are often harder to access, and can also be harder to motivate into partnerships that result in implementation of stormwater management Best Management Practices (BMPs).

This project will assist the District in identifying and assessing school sites for retrofit opportunities that will increase the District's ability to meet stormwater volume and nutrient reduction goals. This project will not only identify promising sites for retrofit BMPs on school sites throughout the District, but involve a series of conversations with school administrators about the potential for partnering on project implementation, now and into the future. An important part of this project involves interaction with both public and private schools to introduce the District and its goals, determine the schools' willingness to partner with the District, identify barriers to installation and maintenance of stormwater BMPs, identify ways to reduce or eliminate barriers, and to generally lay the groundwork for the District to effectively work with schools into the future.