Brown's Creek Watershed District, the MN DNR Trails and Countryside Auto Repair partnered to reduce the amount of dirty water that drained untreated directly into Brown's Creek. The project was entirely on the Brown's Creek State Trail right-of-way.
To make the best use of space, the water quality treatment is done underground by installing an underground Water Quality Unit. The rainwater and snow melt flow into the underground structure, carrying with it a lot of sediment and debris that could harm the trout stream. The water quality unit allows the sediment and debris to drop out into the structure, allowing the cleaned water to continue on to Brown's Creek.
How does the project help Brown's Creek?
The Water Quality Unit traps about 1 ton of sediment per year, keeping Brown's Creek cleaner. With that sediment comes phosphorus (the nutrient that helps algae grow in water), so we also reduce phosphorous by 2.5 pounds per year, keeping about 750 pounds of algae from growing in Lake St. Croix. Oils and other floatable chemicals from this commercial facility are also kept out of Brown's Creek and the St. Croix River.
The project was installed in October/November 2014. To keep the unit working for decades to come, all that sediment will need to be vacuumed out with a special truck approximately twice a year.
Project Cost
The project cost $117,985.57 (including design and construction)
Leveraged Clean Water Fund Grants = $72,500 (61%)
Local BCWD tax levy = $45,485.57
How does the water quality unit work?
Water enters the underground water quality device.
Sediment, floating debris and oil are trapped.
BCWD will do regular maintenance to remove trapped sediment and debris.
Construction photos
Before project.
During construction of underground device.
Post construction, November 2014. Trail side.