RETROFITTING SUSTAINABLE STORMWATER PRACTICES AT A MINNEAPOLIS HIGH SCHOOL, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA

Runoff in the highly-urbanized Northeast Green Campus area of Minneapolis drained untreated to the Mississippi River, which is listed as impaired locally for bacteria and downstream for total suspended solids. It is expected to be listed in 2016 as impaired locally for total phosphorus. The project area, which includes Jackson Square Park, Thomas A. Edison High School, and a city-owned flood mitigation basin, was managed by three different government entities with little collaboration. The NE Green Campus Initiative was created to foster collaborative, sustainable management of resources in the area. The project has resulted in a feasibility study with recommended best management practices, implementation of two phases including parking lot improvements and underground storage and irrigation, and monitoring and evaluation of BMPs on the site. This report summarizes design considerations, discusses collaboration and educational opportunities, and illustrates construction activities and lessons learned throughout the process.