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Click on Blaine’s logo to go to their Aurelia Pond webpage

Aurelia Park Pond Initiative

The Coon Creek Watershed District (CCWD) is partnering with the City of Blaine to improve water quality in Springbrook Creek by constructing a new stormwater pond in the southwest corner of Aurelia Park. The pond is part of an ongoing effort by the City to enhance water quality in the area. This pond  acts as a filter by allowing pollutants to settle and provides stormwater runoff storage during times of high rainfall.

When this neighborhood was built, stormwater was not known as an issue and not dealt with in the design of the neighborhood. Times have changed. Pollution and flooding issues need to be addressed from the water flowing off the streets, sidewalks, driveways and rooftops. This project uses a “treatment train” of 3 methods:

Aerial view of new stormwater pond in Aurelia Park, Blaine MN titled
Springbrook Creek Water Quality Improvements at Aurelia Park, Proposed Plan
  1. A catchbasin sump with baffle helps clean the water before going into the pond.
  2. The new pond allows pollutants to settle out and provides some floodwater storage to help prevent flooding. 
  3. A sand filter bench rings the pond bottom to help remove phosphorus.

The cleaner water from the pond then flows into Springbrook Creek, making it cleaner! During times of heavy rains or smowmelt the pond holds back the surge of stormwater for a short time instead of rushing into the creek, thereby reducing erosion and flood potential of the creek.

Aurelia Park Pond Project: A Clean Water Partnership Initiative

Cleaning up Stormwater

This pond is designed to remove pollutants from stormwater (rain or snowmelt) that runs off from the nearby 50-acre neighborhood. Instead of flowing directly into Springbrook Creek, this stormwater is “treated” 3 ways before the cleaner water goes back into Springbrook Creek to help it meet Clean Water Act standards.

Removing Pollutants

Phosphorus is a nutrient that feeds algae. Algal blooms can turn water green and cause fish kills. E. coli bacteria, another pollutant, often comes from animal waste. A 3-part “treatment train” is designed to remove them:

  1. Underground chamber sump removes trash and large debris
  2. Pond allows time for sediment and its attached pollutants to settle out
  3. Sand “filter bench” at the edge of the pond removes phosphorus and bacteria as the water soaks through it

Flood Storage

The pond is also designed to hold back high water for a short time instead of flooding the creek.

In the adjacent figure, green arrows indicate water runoff and blue arrows indicate clean filtered water.

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More Information

Aurelia Park Pond Project Sign

Project Updates

The construction for this project is completed and the system is working. Vegetation is growing where land was disturbed. The project included planting replacement trees around the perimeter of the new pond and elsewhere in the park while leaving as many existing trees as possible.

A recording of the 4.29.2021 Public Open House is available at the City project webpage linked here: https://www.blainemn.gov/3343/Aurelia-Park-Pond-Project.

Project Funding

The funding for this project is through a State of Minnesota Clean Water Land and Legacy Grant, city stormwater utility fund and the CCWD. Click here for the 2021 All Details Grant Report   Click here for the 2022 All Details Grant Report

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