Development of a citywide GIS-based stormwater management water-quality model

About this project

client
City of Minneapolis
location
Minnesota
cost
$485,000
completion date
2018

As part of a pipeshed and water-quality project, Barr created a citywide, GIS-based model that provides an estimate of how well stormwater best management practices (BMPs) in the city of Minneapolis are removing total phosphorus and total suspended solids from stormwater runoff. The catch-basin-to-catch-basin, cluster-level model utilizes the city’s stormwater geometric network to describe flow patterns to approximately 500 outfalls and includes more than 1,300 BMPs, 28,000 watersheds, and 70,000 junctions. The GIS data model incorporated stormwater data from Minneapolis, 10 neighboring cities, and the University of Minnesota. Additional land-use, land-cover, and LiDAR data from state and federal sources were used to develop raster surfaces needed for predicting runoff and pollutant loadings, as well as for detailed watershed delineation.

The completed model allows for the evaluation of “what if” scenarios regarding BMP placement, street sweeping frequency, and other potential changes to the city’s stormwater system. Since the model utilizes GIS network and feature classes, pollutant loading and removal can be summarized anywhere within the drainage system upstream of the outfalls. Barr also provided in-person model training and support for city staff.

The city can use this tool to identify, analyze, and prioritize water quality areas of concern and evaluate a variety of city initiatives. For example, this model will allow the city to target high-pollutant-generating areas and incorporate water quality BMPs into planned capital projects. This multiple-benefits approach enables the city to prioritize where water quality projects are implemented to maximize city resources and reduce pollution of surface waters.

Key team members

Eddie Anderson

GIS Specialist

Sarah Stratton

Vice President
Senior Water Resources Scientist

Tim Anderson

Senior Water Resources Engineer

Michael McKinney

Senior Water Resources Engineer

Maureen McFarlane

GIS Applications Specialist

Related Water quality projects

Landfill-gas monitoring at remediated dump to support brownfield redevelopment
Stationary-source evaluation for asphalt plants
Spillway upgrades at St. Cloud Dam
Pre-acquisition environmental due diligence review
Landscape master plan for watershed district
Park and landscape design for Mouse River enhanced flood protection project
O&M manual for green-infrastructure stormwater BMPs
Design and prioritization of spillway gate repairs
Phase I ESA for copper-nickel project
Coffee Creek trout stream restoration
Siting and permitting for saltwater disposal wells
Ore transportation study
Detailed assessment of phosphorus sources and loading to Minnesota watersheds
Permitting, environmental assessment, and design for copper-nickel mine
Groundwater monitoring for Fridley Filtration Plant rehabilitation
Incident energy and arc flash hazard analyses of three facilities
Natural-resources management plan for suburban park
Routine electrical, controls, and instrumentation support
Feasibility design and inspections of an urban stormwater-management tunnel
Snowpack monitoring and lake drawdown for Minnesota watershed district
Preliminary engineering for Mouse River enhanced flood protection project
Geotechnical investigation and design for expansion of ancient gold mine
Groundwater modeling for 1,4-dioxane
First-of-its-kind spent-lime stormwater BMP treatment system
Electric-energy resource options study
Environmental impact assessment for mountain-bike trail
Albert Lea Lake outlet modifications
Penn Avenue sinkhole investigation and rehabilitation
Scoping study to increase magnetite-concentrate production capacity
Oxbow-Hickson-Bakke ring-levee flood protection
Development of sewer plan and update of model
Upper Sheyenne River erosion and sedimentation risk assessment
Bathymetry and sediment studies for dredging and restoration of Minnesota lake
Water supply sustainability study for City of Rochester
Capture-efficiency testing for ethanol production facility
Study of engineering risks and site feasibility for windpower client
Chemical and biological monitoring of test ponds
Natural resources inventory and stewardship recommendations
Water-quality modeling and mapping for watershed district
Infiltration updates to the Minnesota Stormwater Manual
Stormwater storage facility for major Minneapolis interstate artery
Geologic modeling and mine-plan development for aggregate quarries
Resource estimates for neodymium-rich rare-earth-element exploration project
Retrofit design for a city-campus parking lot
Water-quality and sediment-dredging study to restore a phosphorus-impaired lake
Advanced oxidation process pilot evaluation for municipal drinking-water system
Rapid response planning for aquatic invasive species
Greenway design to treat stormwater and mitigate flooding
Environmental review for proposed natural-gas pipeline
Inspection, design, and construction oversight for tunnel rehabilitation
Stormwater retrofits along redesigned urban streets
Assessment and remediation of former dump site on university campus
Sustainable landscape master plan for Minnesota college campus
Inspection and repair of urban stormwater tunnels
Updating of Lake Superior chemical source inventory
Earthen embankments reduce flooding and sediment loading in rural creek
Upgrade of wastewater treatment system
Environmental liability assessment at manufacturing facility
Bridge movement monitoring
Environmental review and prefeasibility design for planned uranium mine
Project prioritization tool for Minnesota watershed district
Natural resources master plan
Embankment stabilization along Highway 73
Vulnerability assessment of municipal stormwater system
Vulnerability assessment of a city’s aging storm sewer system
Test burn for cofiring coal and biomass
Transmission line EIS
Flood-control modeling and system upgrades in urban neighborhoods
Groundwater modeling for wellhead-protection-plan amendment
Sediment removal from beneath Vermillion River bridge
Flood forecast mapping for city's emergency response and planning efforts
Sustainable site design for watershed district headquarters
Living-streets planning provides framework for alternative street reconstruction
Improvements to municipal flood-risk-protection system
Green infrastructure treats stormwater along light rail corridor
Engineering services for municipal wastewater-treatment facility
Groundwater-surface water study of McKenna Lake
West Side Flats park and stormwater design
Powerhouse and turbine replacement at Redwood Falls
Highway 55 storm-tunnel inspection
District stormwater management system for redeveloping urban center
Non-segregating tailings deposition study
Creation of LID master plan for stormwater management
Modeling and failure risk assessment of a municipal storm sewer system
XP-SWMM model update and calibration for Minnesota watershed
Demonstration rainwater gardens reduce stormwater runoff
Flood risk reduction of suburban lakes
Letter of map revision for Minnesota city
Infrastructure inspection program for Minnesota watershed district
Air permit-to-install strategy and application
Discovery Point ecological restoration
Hiawatha Golf Course alternatives analysis and master planning
Identification of wetland restoration opportunities
Investigation and design for Freeway Landfill
Stormwater basin retrofits for water quality improvement
Watershed management planning for Minnesota watershed district
Site reviews for solar gardens across Minnesota
Whitewater State Park stream restoration
Hennepin County sustainable landscape guidelines
Removing dissolved metals from roadway runoff using ferric-oxide filtration
Geotechnical deformation and failure modeling of fine tailings capping
Stormwater-management minimal impact design standards and BMP design calculator
West River Parkway landslide repair
Hydropower facility evaluation and due diligence
Landslide stabilization and corridor repair for state highway
Public-space and sustainable stormwater management decision-making framework
FERC relicensing of Ford Lake Dam
Gate automation for the Soo Locks compensating works
Water quality and ecological improvements to an urban lake
Stormwater-development reviews for urban WMO
Reclaimed mineland offers worldclass mountain biking and economic development
Natural stormwater-treatment system and park redevelopment
Hydrology and hydraulic modeling of a tunnel system
Environmental site assessments for future site of mining and processing facility
Condition assessment and options study for hydro facility
Sweeney Lake and Schaper Pond water-quality improvement
One Watershed, One Plan development for southern Minnesota watershed district
Vapor-mitigation implementation and maintenance at business center
Upgraded levee system manages flood risk for Minot residents
EIS preparation and third-party environmental review of transmission line
Hall's Island and Scherer site reconstruction
Minnehaha Park lower glen restoration
Resource assessment and permitting assistance for industrial sands facility
Minnetonka Mills Park design
Wetland replacement assistance for highway project
Design of an LED lighting system for a downtown streetscape
Groundwater-flow model of the Twin Cities metro area
Fast-track realignment of a storm sewer
Remediation and redevelopment of historic dump
Geotechnical assistance for mine expansion at Julienne Lake
Lilydale Regional Park stormwater management and slope stabilization
PFOS investigation at municipal wastewater plant
Municipal drinking-water wellhouse evaluation and design
Flood risk reduction for North Dakota city
Shoreline stabilization and restoration of Lake Minnetonka’s Big Island
Landscape master plan for Minnesota college campus
Stormwater infrastructure management assistance
Restoration of trout habitat in Vermilion River
Compliance, resource, and process evaluations for potential mining sites
Aquatic invasive species (AIS) management in a Wisconsin lake
Stormwater-basin retrofits improve water quality and habitat
Dispersion modeling at five ethanol production facilities
Evaluating tunnel system pressure
Natural stormwater-treatment system and park redevelopment
Cost analysis for meeting water quality standards
Green infrastructure retrofit of an urban shopping-mall parking lot
Dry Spotted Tail Creek stream restoration
Preliminary feasibility study for PFAS-related water quality concerns
Stormwater-development reviews for an urban watershed district
Urban watershed stormwater-development and permit reviews
Remediation and residential redevelopment of Whitehall Leather site
Rockford dam removal
Regulatory-compliance assistance for Freeway Landfill
Ecological residential development design preserves nature and city growth
Groundwater modeling and remedial improvements at closed landfills
Hall’s Island redevelopment and restoration
City of New Brighton water treatment plant design
Redevelopment services for New Brighton Exchange
Stressor-identification report for an impaired urban stream
Energy integration study for waste-heat utilization
Strategic planning for Freeway Landfill
Environmental services for coal-yard decommissioning
Brownfields redevelopment for Mississippi WMO headquarters
Post-flood stream assessment and natural channel design
Tongue River assessment
Brownfields redevelopment for watershed district headquarters
Preliminary design for PFAS-related drinking-water treatment
Groundwater modeling for water-supply wellfield expansion
Renovation of historic Peavey Plaza in downtown Minneapolis
Environmental permitting and compliance support for a refinery
AFFF containment upgrades evaluation
Water reuse evaluation for zero liquid discharge at manufacturing facility
Redevelopment of former Atlas Cement plant
Expansion-related permitting and review assistance
Installation design for alternative energy facility
Aquifer storage and recovery and water sustainability evaluation and implementation
Study of solar developments on closed Minnesota landfills
Geotechnical investigation of pumped-storage hydroelectric facility
Preliminary geotechnical engineering and geophysical investigation
Willow River Dam rock arch rapids design services
Geotechnical highwall assessment at Bald Mountain
Seneca solar project geotechnical engineering services
Conceptual development for Coal FIRST initiative
Pre-FEED study for Coal FIRST initiative
Environmental services for cathodic protection facilities in Michigan
Transaction due diligence for oil and gas assets
Creating ESG clarity for a petroleum company
ESG policy review and advisory services
Water-quality and structural monitoring for channel dredging
ESG framework for midstream oil and gas company
Mitigation of aerosol impacts from coal combustion
Hydropower facility evaluation and improvement recommendations
Flood risk management system upgrades and FEMA certification
Hastings levee certification
Rushford levee system remediation
Business risk assessment of species at risk in oil sands region
Calculating stormwater fees via remote-sensing technology
TMDL study and water quality assessment for a suburban stream
Field review and permitting for pipeline replacement
Environmental field review and MPSC Act 9 support
Acid-generating rock identification and mitigation
PFAS-impacted drinking water response and treatment plant design
Solar on reclaimed coal mine, settlement and subsidence risk analysis
Pressure control valve methanol-injection engineering study
Blaine water treatment plant 4
UAS topographic data collection for habitat restoration design
City of Minnetonka natural resources management plan
Spring Lake Park Reserve natural resources management plan
Metropolitan Council sustainable landscape guidelines
Grassy Point and Kingsbury Bay habitat restoration
Engineering and design for the rehabilitation of Karey Dam
AWIA risk and emergency compliance for urban drinking water
Environmental assessment program for highway safety improvements
CFD modeling of stormwater tunnels
CFD modeling for spillway replacement
Park and water-feature evaluation and renovation
Rock-fall protections at Interstate State Park
Sustainable landscape master plan for Abbott Northwestern Hospital
Carbon-evaluation services for new mining facilities
Assessment of PFAS use
Air permitting assistance for pharmaceutical facility
Design of repairs to leaking reservoir
Park and trail conceptual design for the city of Biwabik
Environmental support for solar power facilities
Desktop study and geotechnical investigation for new wind power site
Great lakes coastal wetland restoration feasibility study
Highland Bridge (Ford Site) green stormwater infrastructure
Bloomington natural resources prioritization and management
Purgatory Park restoration master plan
Natural resources management plan for recreational area
Pipeline route permitting assistance
Climate adaptation and resiliency plan
Road raise and conceptual design
Renewable energy development plan
Multi-phase levee alterations for the City of Des Moines, Iowa
Carbon-capture-system feasibility study
Water discharge permitting for copper-nickel mine
Flood-control-system upgrades and certification
Strategy for collecting lake-morphometry data
Closure and reclamation support for a legacy metals mine