The Upper Sheyenne River is a 300-mile segment of the Sheyenne River in north-central North Dakota, flowing through nine counties that together make up the Upper Sheyenne River Joint Water Resource Board (Joint Board). In recent years the river has experienced significant bank erosion and channel migration, threatening local infrastructure in several locations. The Joint Board hired Barr to conduct an erosion and sedimentation risk assessment of the entire Upper Sheyenne River riparian corridor, from the headwaters to Baldhill Dam. The results of the risk assessment will be used to prioritize restoration activities along the river and to guide applications for project funding from federal and state grant programs.

 Our work included background data collection and public meetings to identify key areas of concern, field surveys at 15 locations along the river to characterize typical channel dimensions and evaluate bank stability, and analysis and risk assessment. The risk assessment used the Rapid Resource Inventory for Sediment and Stability Consequences (RRISSC), a component of the Watershed Assessment of River Stability and Sediment Supply (WARSSS) methodology (Rosgen, 2009).

 The risk assessment found that 18 of the 30 river reaches in the study area are at high risk for ongoing channel instability. Barr prepared concept stabilization recommendations for several of the study locations.

With Barr’s assistance, Avangrid, a long-time client, developed a series of wind farms on the northern part of Buffalo Ridge in South Dakota, which extends from that state through southwest Minnesota and into Iowa. As part of the site-selection process for the project, Barr performed a “desktop study” to evaluate the site’s conditions. Barr created this tool in 2006 to help wind energy developers better evaluate engineering risks and site feasibility for commercial-scale wind projects.

Using only available information, like library and Internet resources, we can often identify the potential for common geotechnical challenges—such as collapsible soils, karst (caves), and high groundwater levels—as well as engineering factors like gravel availability that can affect a site’s suitability for wind power development. We can also uncover conditions that may have a direct impact on project costs.

In this instance, Barr’s study was directed at addressing concerns raised by the South Dakota Public Utility Commission. The project was approved and went on to be constructed and put into operation. Avangrid began the first phase of the Buffalo Ridge wind farm in 2007, adding Buffalo Ridge II in 2010, with several subsequent phases.

Barr also provided permitting, civil, electrical, structural, construction-phase engineering and decommissioning planning services for these projects.

The former Atlas Cement plant site on the western edge of Duluth was developed in the early 1900s in conjunction with the nearby Duluth Works steel mill. The cement plant operated until the early 1980s and included cement storage silos, cement kilns, bulk storage areas, and a large network of railroad tracks. The City of Duluth hired Barr to assist with the redevelopment of an 11-acre sub-parcel of the 60-acre site.

Initially, the project focused on developing the southwestern portion of the property for construction of a production facility for IKONICS Corporation. Barr assisted with planning response actions that could be implemented in conjunction with site grading and construction work. We helped the city secure and maximize state-brownfield-grant funding for these cleanup activities.

Since then, Barr has continued to work on the site to support future development, using both federal and state funding. Barr has assisted with the development of sampling and analysis plans and a quality assurance project plan, site grading plans, and material management plans; collaboration with the EPA, the MPCA, and construction and environmental contractors; and report preparation.

Barr has also helped the city address high-pH water at the site by performing water monitoring and water treatment bench and pilot tests; designing and overseeing construction of vegetated stormwater ponds and swales; designing site-wide capping and grading to drain surface water and reduce exposure to cement waste material; and planning and overseeing the removal of a historical conduit associated with high-pH groundwater. Barr is continuing to assist with future development plans for the site.

Since the 1970s, Barr has performed stormwater development and redevelopment reviews on behalf of the BCWMC for proposed projects in the Bassett Creek watershed. These reviews help the commission meet its goals of managing the watershed’s surface water resources to meet or exceed state water quality standards, reduce stormwater runoff volume to improve water quality, and protect against flood risks along the Bassett Creek trunk system.

This work includes review of erosion and sediment control, rate control, and water-quality treatment; floodplain alterations; surface-water diversions; land-use changes and appropriations; utility crossings and bridges; and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources permit applications. Submittals are also reviewed to confirm that minimal impact design standards (MIDS) are incorporated into the development/redevelopment proposals and make sure any drainage modifications to the Bassett Creek tunnel are properly analyzed.

When SLW wanted to install two natural-gas-fired engines powering 4.4 MW generators at its Michigan facility, the utility needed engineering and environmental assistance for developing an air permit-to-install strategy and application for submittal to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE); assessing the existing facility decommissioning requirements; and performing a baseline noise survey and floodplain evaluation.

For air permitting, Barr evaluated potential emissions of pollutants (including formaldehyde), reviewed applicable environmental regulations, and evaluated BACT for volatile organic compounds, which were proposed to be controlled by a catalytic oxidizer. We also performed air dispersion modeling of nitrogen dioxide emissions following the U.S. EPA–preferred model and EGLE guidance.

With Barr’s help, the permit application was submitted and approved, allowing SLW to proceed with equipment bidding and understand the approved emissions performance of the engines. We also helped decommission the existing structure to prepare for installation of the new natural-gas-fired engines, including asbestos assessment, lead paint detection, legacy evaluation, and guidance for proper handling and disposal of various materials. Our engineering support included bid specification and evaluation as well as site geotechnical evaluation, and in 2017 we helped modify the permit for an equipment change.

Shared stormwater facility promotes community sustainability

A formerly industrial, rapidly developing neighborhood spanning over 300 acres, Towerside District is the first designated “innovation district” in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) saw a rare opportunity to build stormwater treatment on a district scale to reduce landowner costs, implement more effective and environmentally friendly stormwater treatment, and provide public greenspace. First of its kind in the Twin Cities, the Towerside system is the result of a voluntary agreement among four property developers to manage runoff jointly, plus several years of stakeholder and planning sessions facilitated by Barr and the MWMO.

Barr's design features interconnected components sized to collectively manage a 100-year storm event and treat the first 1.1 inches of runoff to meet Minneapolis’ stormwater standards. Two large, pollinator-friendly biofiltration basins collect and pretreat runoff. The stormwater is conveyed to a 27,615-cubic-foot underground cistern for additional treatment, including UV treatment, possibly the first application of its kind. During a severe drought in 2021, the stormwater reuse system pumped continuously, distributing approximately 100,000 gallons of irrigation water for adjacent parkland and community gardens. In the heart of Minneapolis, excavation and installation required creative phasing and careful threading through existing and potential developments and utilities. Currently supporting about $250 million in new development, the system is designed to connect with future developments.

Now a part of Minneapolis’ parks and trails system, the stormwater park provides greenspace for this growing neighborhood and offers stormwater engagement and education. Dedicated to community-focused solutions, Barr and the MWMO have modeled what can be collectively achieved for the larger Towerside Innovation District and demonstrated that public-private infrastructure partnerships can deliver greater public value.

In 2015, Barr conducted a storm sewer system vulnerability analysis for the City of Minnetonka to assess failure risk and identify higher-risk pipes and culverts in the city’s aging storm sewer system. Risk is defined in many ways but can generally be described as the combination of the likelihood of something occurring and the magnitude of impacts. This risk definition provided a framework for an analysis to help identify higher-risk stormwater infrastructure and prioritize monitoring, inspection, and maintenance improvements to mitigate or adapt to risk and facilitate resiliency.

Barr’s assessment included a two-step GIS-based analysis. First, we identified pipe segments with a higher likelihood of failure due to pipe characteristics (e.g., age and material) and other site-specific factors such as soil conditions (e.g., corrosion susceptibility) and topography (e.g., steep slopes). Then, we assessed the consequences of pipe failure, including the potential for roadway inundation and washout, disruption of emergency routes, flooding of critical buildings and infrastructure, and slope failures. A scoring system was developed to identify higher-risk storm pipes based on likelihood of failure, failure consequences, and combined risk. As part of asset management, the city plans to develop a targeted inspection and replacement program based on the results of this analysis.

A confidential client sought to replace a 28-mile section of a 24-inch natural gas pipeline that crosses two counties in southeast Michigan. Barr was hired to assist with environmental field reviews and permitting related to regulated wetlands, streams, and floodplains as well as threatened and endangered (T&E) species. Services we provided during the field review and permit application process include:

Barr worked with the City of Bloomington to create a Parks Natural Areas Management Plan to prioritize areas of restoration and management, as well as to establish restoration strategies within top ranked parks.

Bloomington is fortunate to have an extensive park system with significant natural areas. In the past, natural areas received little maintenance. Now, external forces such as invasive species, heavy use by people, and climate change have prompted the City of Bloomington to create a long-term strategy for restoration of these precious park resources.

Barr created a detailed matrix to prioritize natural communities for restoration and management. The matrix accounted for ecological attributes for prioritization such as the ecological quality of natural areas, size of natural areas, if the area is located within a MN DNR conservation corridor, and presence of rare natural features. The matrix also included prioritization based on social attributes such as if the park is located within a vulnerable population area, public access and use, and volunteer participation. Ranking in this matrix prioritized ecological and social values of park spaces—a higher ranking correlated to areas of highest importance. As part of this project, Barr also developed restoration plans for the top nine priority parks.

With a clear path forward, the City of Bloomington was able to leverage this plan to receive increased budget from City Council and to back grant applications to support park natural areas.

As part of assessing the feasibility of two routes proposed for a 15-mile-long natural gas pipeline, GMG asked Barr to perform a desktop review and assist the utility in selecting and modifying the final route. 

Our work included performing a detailed land-ownership survey to identify required permits and agency consultations. Because the proposed pipeline would cross state and federal lands, as well as land belonging to the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, the project required numerous approvals. Barr prepared an application for transportation and utility systems and facilities on federal lands and submitted it to the Chippewa National Forest on behalf of GMG, and developed a stormwater pollution-prevention plan for submittal to the U.S. EPA. In addition, we prepared an application for a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources license to cross public lands and waters, and consulted with the State Historic Preservation Office and Tribal Historic Preservation Officers on cultural resources requirements.

After the Leech Lake tribe requested a Phase I archaeological survey, Barr worked with the tribe’s Heritage Sites Program to conduct one. We continued to assist GMG with stormwater pollution prevention during pipeline construction, which was completed in autumn 2020.