 The
Stormwater Program is involved in several research projects that look at
pollutant removal by stormwater BMPs and other stormwater management
questions. The projects include:
- Iron-enhanced filtration — In partnerships with two cities and a watershed
district, we’re examining the effectiveness of five iron-enhanced
stormwater treatment systems: two sand filters, a biofiltration system,
and two detention ponds retrofits.
- Infiltration monitoring — The MPCA is partering on two projects that monitor
infiltration systems at four sites to assess pollutant transport and removal
within the BMP and in the unsaturated soil zone underneath. The sites
include surface and underground infiltration practices.
- Daphnia ecotoxicogenomics method development and
calibration — Researchers are investigating
the viability and value of using a daphnia-based transcriptomics tool as
part of MPCA's water quality monitoring efforts.
- Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in stormwater — MPCA and several partners are investigating CECs
and associated toxicology in stormwater conveyances and iron-enhanced
sand filters in the Twin Cities area. Researchers are measuring more
than 300 commercial/industrial chemicals and the effectiveness of
full-scale iron-enhanced sand filters at mitigating their impact.
- Infiltration in roadside swales: Long-term field
testing prototype — MPCA and
MnDOT are prototyping a method to assess the long-term infiltration
performance of swales in natural conditions at various scales.
- Stormwater research priorities and pond maintenance — The MPCA, serving as the state’s technical liaison,
is assisting the University of Minnesota in looking for ways to
improve stormwater pond maintenance and performance. This project will
also produce a ten-year framework of stormwater research needs, and
provide for education and training to disseminate the results.
When appropriate, data from
these projects will be aggregated for analysis with Twin Cities area data
available from other sources to achieve broader representation. These projects
are possible through much-appreciated partnerships and Clean Water Funds and,
for one project, an EPA grant. As each is completed, MPCA will provide
summaries in this newsletter, with full reports available through the
Stormwater Program web site and manual. For more detailed information on
these projects, visit the Minnesota Stormwater Manual.
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