$800,000 Grant to Help Reduce Pollution in Northeast Minneapolis
Wednesday, January 2, 2019 at 9:13AM
Columbia Golf Course project will protect local neighborhoods, Mississippi River
The Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) announced today that it has been awarded $800,000 from the Minnesota Board of Soil and Water Resources (BWSR) to address water quality and flooding issues in Northeast Minneapolis.
The funds, which come from the state’s Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, will be used to install a series of stormwater best management practices (BMPs) at the Columbia Golf Course in Northeast Minneapolis. The improvements will capture and treat stormwater from 600 acres that drain to and through the golf course, protecting the nearby Mississippi River from polluted runoff. In combination with other improvements planned for the area, the practices will also help to mitigate flooding.
“A large portion of Northeast Minneapolis drains through the Columbia Golf Course, and this new green infrastructure will benefit the entire community,” said MWMO Executive Director Doug Snyder. “The project will help protect the golf course and the surrounding neighborhoods from flooding, as well as reduce pollutant loading to the Mississippi River and improve habitat by adding native vegetation.”
The golf course improvements are part of a larger Northeast Stormwater Management Initiative being led jointly by the MWMO, the City of Minneapolis, and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. The initiative will address local stormwater issues by modifying the city’s stormwater infrastructure, adding regional stormwater BMPs, and integrating new green infrastructure in portions of Northeast Minneapolis and Columbia Heights.
The golf course BMPs have the potential to remove an estimated average of 100 pounds of total phosphorus (TP) and 20 tons of total suspended solids (TSS) each year, keeping these pollutants out of the Mississippi River. Up to 6.7 million cubic feet of stormwater could be infiltrated.
The golf course improvements are expected to begin construction in mid-2020. More information can be found at mwmo.org/northeast, where residents can also sign up to receive email updates.
About the Minnesota Clean Water Fund
Minnesota voters approved the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment in 2008 to:
- protect, enhance, and restore wetlands, prairies, forests, and fish, game, and wildlife habitat;
- preserve arts and cultural heritage;
- support parks and trails; and
- protect, enhance, and restore lakes, rivers, streams, and groundwater
The Clean Water Fund receives 33 percent of the sales tax revenue generated by the Legacy Amendment. More information about the Clean Water Fund is available here.
