Woodcrest Creek Biochar/Iron-Enhanced Sand Filter
What is a Biochar/Iron-Enhanced Sand Filter?
It is an area that uses filtration media such as sand to filter out pollutants from stormwater. In this project, sand is mixed with iron and biochar, a plant-based charcoal.
During rainstorms water will enter the filter area where it will soak down while pollutants stay behind in the sand, the iron binding with phosphorus, the nutrient that fuels rapid algal growth, and the biochar binds E. coli, a type of bacteria commonly found in animal waste.
Both phosphorus and E. coli have been identified as water quality problems in the Woodcrest Creek watershed.
This filter is now working and successfully removing much phosphorus and E. coli bacteria out of Woodcrest Creek!
This project is funded by the City of Coon Rapids, the Coon Creek Watershed District, and the Clean Water Fund.
This project is complete!