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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSection 1: Introduction August 27, 2004 Storm Water Management Plan Prepared for the City of St. Joseph, Minnesota 1,0 Section 1 - Introduction 1.1 Authorization and Need The City of St. Joseph and the surrounding area have been experiencing rapid growth over the past five years, This growth is continuing and indications are that it will continue for at least several years to come. The population increased approximately 40 percent from 1990-2000 and was about 4,680 in 2000, From 2000 to 2002 the population increased by 7 percent. It is expected that the population will continue to increase and that the number of homes may double in the next 6-10 years, Plans are now being drafted for another 800 acres of development within the planned 4,700-acre orderly annexation area. The current size of St. Joseph is about 2,000 acres, Some established areas of the city are being redeveloped with updated road access, utilities, and zoning. Development and redevelopment usually result in an increase in the rate and volume of storm water runoff. The increase in runoff can overtax the natural drainage systems and increase the potential for localized flooding. A decrease in storm water quality can also be directly attributed to an increased level of development (MPCA Protecting Water Quality in Urban Areas manual). Water quality decrease translates into lost recreational opportunities and permanent changes to the biological systems present in local water bodies. The City of St. Joseph determined that a plan for anticipating storm water drainage and infrastructure needs over the next 10-15 years would assist them in planning for the future and identifying potential future storm water problem areas. The majority of the new development area is expected to be residential land use, and there are concerns of increased environmental impact to the area. These concerns include loss of wetlands, degradation of lake and river water quality, groundwater protection, and construction erosion and sedimentation problems. The impact of these environmental concerns affects recreational opportunities, aesthetic considerations, and ecological diversity and wildlife habitat. Storm water management is an issue that figures prominently in the development proposals that now come before the City. In recent years, the State of Minnesota has adopted laws regarding storm water drainage and erosion control measures. State agencies such as the Minnesota Pollution A-ST JOE0315 Page 1 Control Agency (MPCA) and the Metropolitan Council have created model ordinances and "Best Management Practices" for communities to use. Looming in the future are possible federal EP A mandates regarding the monitoring of storm water quality. S1. Joseph staff is aware of the problems, as well as the new requirements, and have been incorporating them into requirements for new developments. S1. Joseph recognizes the need to take a more comprehensive and systematic look at storm water management. 1.2 Background The City of S1. Joseph is located in the east central portion of Stearns County, approximately eight miles west of the downtown area of the city of S1. Cloud (Figure 1). CSAH 75 runs through the central portion of the city and Interstate 94 runs along the southwestern edge, The land that became the City of S1. Joseph was originally part of S1. Joseph Township. The area was ftrst settled in 1854. ill 1855, St. Joseph was named after the 8t. Joseph Catholic Church, The City was offtcially created through a referendum in 1890, was incorporated, and the ftrst council created. The City and surrounding planned annexation area are included in this report for a Storm Water Management Plan. The larger study area covers approximately 19 Sections (19 square miles or 11,900 acres) and is shown on Figure 2. A watershed area of approximately 10.5 square miles (6,700 acres) is included in the hydrologic model discussed in Section 3 of this r~port, The hydrologic model area includes the existing city and the planned annexation area. The major watershed divide for the study area is between the Sauk River to the southeast and the Watab River to the northwest (Figure 2), Some of the drainage remains within the watersheds in local low areas that do not have outflow. 1.3 History of Water Management Programs in Minnesota In the past, storm water management was, in principal, very simple: collect the water into an underground system of pipes and get it to a river or creek as quickly as possible. If there was a problem with localized flooding, additional and larger pipe was put in the ground. Water quality and other storm water issues were not typically considered. It is fair to say that the main concern of the average citizen is still to get the water away from their house or business as quickly as possible, Recently, a relatively new issue has been factored in, one mandated by law and good sense-the issue of water quality. Unchecked and ever-increasing runoff is impacting the quality of our rivers, lakes and creeks. This is caused both by pollutants that are contained in the runoff as well as by erosion that occurs from the increasing storm water volume entering bodies of water at a faster rate. Today, Best Management Practices for managing storm water have changed from collection and piping to retention, inftltration, treatment, and establishing a more controlled and gradual discharge of storm water to the receiving body of water. Storm Water Management Plan St. Joseph, Minnesota Ä-ST JOE0315 Page 2 1.4 1.4.1 1.4.2 Storm Water Management Plan St. Joseph, Minnesota St. Joseph is not required by Minnesota statute to complete a Local Water Management Plan; however, the need for water resources planning in the City has arisen from the pace of development and existing near capacity flows observed in the drainage system, For cities in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, the Minnesota Legislature adopted the Comprehensive Water Management program in 1985 to address storm water issues, planning needs, and the need for a uniform standard for storm water management. These statutes (103B.301 to 103B.355) and Minnesota Rule Chapter 8410 encourage metropolitan cities and counties statewide to develop and implement comprehensive water plans, See Appendix A for a copy of these statutes and rules. Local ownership is the hallmark of the program. While the plans are voluntary, various state grants and even some federal monies require that counties have an adopted water management plan. These plans are required to be updated every 5 to 10 years. The purpose of the State water management program is to protect and enhance surface water, groundwater, and related land resources by developing and carrying out water management plans at the local level. These plans are intended to consider protection of water resources along with local conditions, priorities, and available resources. Local water management provides a means to link state goals and objectives with the goals and objectives local governments set for managing water and related land resources in their jurisdictions. The intent of earlier water plans included a greater local awareness of environmental issues, strengthened ties. with state agencies, and identification of priority issues, along with implementation actions to address those issues, More recent water plans are framed in a watershed context to provide cross-jurisdictional strength and to and identify regional sensitive groundwater areas, wellhead protection areas, wetland areas, and storm water management issues. The criteria, at a minimum, should establish the degree of performance necessary to achieve improvement in water quality and quantity management. These criteria are not intended to dictate or preempt the design process, but rather provide guidelines to proper development. Other Government Jurisdictions Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) BWSR is the State agency charged with overseeing the Wetlands Conservation Act (WCA), administering the State input to the Soil and Water Conservation Districts and Watershed Districts, and oversee Comprehensive Local Water Management Plans. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) The NRCS is a federal, USDA agency that assists farmers and rural landowners with agricultural best management practices, soil erosion concerns, and Federal agricultural programs. They have regulatory jurisdiction for the Farm Program Swamp Buster program, The NRCS was formerly known at the SCS (Soil Conservation Service). A-STJOE0315 Page 3 1.4,3 Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) The Soil and Water Conservation District is organized to provide local leadership in the conservation of soil, water, and related natural resources through programs and partnerships with individuals, businesses, organizations and government. The District has many programs and projects that promote and develop conservation practices on the land. 1.4.4 Sank River Watershed District The Sauk River Watershed District (SRWD) is a state recognized Watershed District under Minnesota Statute 103D that has authority to promote rules and issue permits pertaining to water resources and erosion control within its boundaries, The southeast portion of the existing St. Joseph city limits, and much of the proposed annexation area toward the Sauk River, are included within the SRWD boundary (Figure 2), The SRWD is in the process of revising their rules pertaining to storm water and erosion control management. Their revised rules and guidelines can be obtained from their office in Sauk Center when they are completed. The SRWD is also recognized as the ditch authority for much of the area within their boundaries, 1.4.5 Stearns County Stearns County adopted Erosion Control and Storm Water Management Ordinances in January 2004 (Ordinances 209-7.5 and 209-7.21, see Appendix B). These ordinances apply to properties outside of official municipal boundaries. Areas outside the St. Joseph city limits, but within the proposed annexation area, will have to comply with these rules until they are annexed into the City. The hydrology model and planning that has been completed as a part of this study assumes that the areas will be annexed into the city before development plans are completed. The county Erosion and Sediment Control Ordinance 209-7.5 has requirements similar to the MPCA NPDES II (National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Phase II) Construction permit SWPPP (Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan) requirements. A few exceptions to this are: · Standard 7,5.2 J requires that a temporary storm water pond be utilized for a drainage area of 5 or more acres, which is more conservative than the state MPCA requirement for 10 or more acres · The County Storm water Management ordinance, 209-7.21.1.A.8 and 9 specify storm water discharge volume control regulations, which is more restrictive than current city or state requirements. · Standard 7.21.1.B lists requirements for design criteria, soil characteristics and infiltration assumptions. · Standard 7.21.1.C specifies that the Walker design method be used for wet detention basin design. Stearns County updated their Local Water Management Plan in 2002. This plan is a comprehensive overview of county natural, geologic and hydrologic resources. Goals and action items are listed in the back of the report and Storm Water Management Plan St. Joseph, Minnesota A-ST JOE0315 Page 4 Storm Water Management Plan St. Joseph, Minnesota outline how managers would like water resources and other planning items to be viewed in Steams County. A-STJOE0315 Page 5