1. Nutrient Management in the Urban Landscape Rebecca Kluckhohn, P.E. Watershed Engineer West Metro Water Alliance Forum, May 18 th 2011 W W e n c k Engineers & Scientists

2. Overview: Urban/ Suburban W e n c k Engineers & Scientists Why do we care? Sources Solutions Cost vs. Benefit

3. Why do we care? W e n c k Engineers & Scientists Water resources lakes & streams Regulations MS4s TMDL People complain Level of service Budgets

4. Why do we care? W e n c k Engineers & Scientists Minnesota: Clean Water Land & Legacy: "Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to dedicate funding to protect our drinking water sources; to protect, enhance, and restore our wetlands, prairies, forests, and fish, game, and wildlife habitat; to preserve our arts and cultural heritage; to support our parks and trails; and to protect, enhance, and restore our lakes, rivers, streams, and groundwater by increasing the sales and use tax rate beginning July 1, 2009, by three-eighths of one percent on taxable sales until the year 2034?“ YES.

5. W e n c k Engineers & Scientists Altered hydrology Dry deposition & wash off from impervious areas Urban green space Pet waste Urban wildlife Sources

6. W e n c k Engineers & Scientists Source: Altered hydrology?  Solution: Reduce runoff Reduce impervious area Mitigate soil compaction Pervious pavement Green roof Depressional Storage Sources…Solution

7. W e n c k Engineers & Scientists Source: Dry deposition & wash off from impervious areas Parking lots, driveways, rooftops, sidewalks  Solution: Manage what comes off of the impervious you do have Disconnect them Street sweeping Pet waste ordinance Education Sources…Solution

8. W e n c k Engineers & Scientists Source(s): Urban green space Lawns, leaf litter, phosphorus fertilizer Pet waste Urban wildlife Degraded wetlands  Solution Leaf litter ordinance Pet waste ordinance Education Sources…Solution

9. W e n c k Engineers & Scientists Rain gardens, Bioretention Swales Pervious pavement Green roofs Underground storage Cisterns BMPS: Where to put them? Understand how to link: Cost of design, construction, O&M of stormwater BMPs/ Benefits Impact of practices/ BMPs on water quality– target a specific outcome Communicate a level of service to constituents

10. Things to Watch for: W e n c k Engineers & Scientists Linkage of TMDL goals with MS4 permit requirements/ development requirements– this will most likely be more restrictive than current standards Move from design standards to performance standards/ effluent limits

11. Things to Watch for : W e n c k Engineers & Scientists Emerging practices Water Reclamation & Reuse Twins Stadium Kimball, MN Integrated Functions for Stormwater Infrastructure Aesthetic, recreation Green Infrastructure

12. Things to Watch for: W e n c k Engineers & Scientists Economic Issues: The need to quantify & communicate the value of stormwater management The need for financing (long-term O&M) Groundwater impacts Climate Change– The intersection of stormwater management and energy management Breakdown of the separation between dealing with “storm”water and just dealing with water

13. Things to Watch Out for: W e n c k Engineers & Scientists Green Infrastructure vs. Grey Infrastructure  Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater…you typically need both. Grey doesn’t always mean “not green”. You can’t deal with the 100 year event in a rain garden Application of BMPs will always be site specific Justify costs to keep sustainability sustainable

14. Opportunities: W e n c k Engineers & Scientists Look for opportunities in your practice for creating visual expressions of stormwater management/ infrastructure to further the cause of water resource protection

15. Questions? W W e n c k Engineers & Scientists

16. Regulatory Framework W W e n c k Engineers & Scientists Federal Clean Water Act (NPDES, TMDL) Climate Registry State (Administers Clean Water Act in MN) NPDES (Permitted Sources: Point Sources, and Permitted Non-Point Sources such as construction, industrial stormwater, & municipal areas) TMDL (Do the waters of the State meet state standards?) MIDS (unifying land development standards across state) Local Watershed/ WMO Development Rules City Stormwater Utility Fees/ Requirements County

17. Regulatory Framework Dictate individual site use Federal: Clean water Act (NPDES, TMDL) State: Administers CWA (NPDES, TMDL), New: MIDs Local: Cities Stormwater Utility Watershed Management Organization (Development Rules) W W e n c k Engineers & Scientists

18. W W e n c k Engineers & Scientists Clean Water Act NPDES Highway Smaller Construction (August 1, 2008) Large Construction Industrial Stormwater (March 23, 2010) Stormwater from Large Cities (MS4s) (February 15, 2007) CWA: Point Sources (1977)

19. W W e n c k Engineers & Scientists Clean Water Act TMDL Highway Impairment Listings (303d Listing) Assess Waters Allocate Pollutant Load Set the TMDL Set Standards Implement Pollutant Load Reduction

20. W W e n c k Engineers & Scientists Local Stormwater Management Highway Political/ Jurisdictional (City/ County) Watershed Level of service: Getting water OFF the landscape quickly, reduce flooding (providing infrastructure) Level of service: Protecting water quality (guiding land use)

21. Regulatory Framework Dictate individual site use NPDES TMDL Watershed Based Rules; City/ County Requirements MIDs W W e n c k Engineers & Scientists

22. W W e n c k Engineers & Scientists Political/ Jurisdictional (City/ County) Watershed Level of service: Getting water OFF the landscape quickly, reduce flooding (providing infrastructure) Level of service: Protecting water quality (guiding land use) Regulatory Framework Mindset Will Understanding Site Specific Practices

23. Reality: W W e n c k Engineers & Scientists The scope of water body impairments exceed our existing capacity to deal with them using present methods: High # of impairments Low # of waters assessed High cost of assessment Implementation calls for signification reductions in pollutant loads Draft 2010 TMDL List (1,774 total)