Wakefield Design and Implementation Project

Ramsey County is the smallest, most densely populated county in the state of Minnesota consisting of primarily urbanized land use. Ramsey County's water resources provide the industrial base, drinking water, and recreational opportunities for over one-half million people on a daily basis. The major environmental problems that Ramsey County lakes and streams face can be traced to the effects that urbanized land use has on these natural resources. Their destruction and deterioration threaten the high quality of life in Ramsey County and could require expensive restoration and remediation practices to repair.

The Ramsey Conservation District used GIS technology and modeling systems to identify the most cost-effective catchments to install Best Management Practices (BMPs) to reduce Total Phosphorus (TP) levels in nutrient-impaired Wakefield Lake. The aim of this project is to design and install BMPs, prioritizing seven specific raingarden locations, which will reduce the external loading of TP into Wakefield Lake by 10 pounds/year.