Irving Park Stormwater
Project Status: Design
Project Overview:
The City of Duluth's Engineering Dept will be installing a Bio-Infiltration Basin, along the west side of Irving Park.
The project is being constructed in an effort to improve the water quality of Keene Creek, a designated trout stream that runs through Irving park and is impaired for E. Coli. When high levels of E. Coli are detected in a stream, it indicates that the waterway is not "swimmable" due to the potential for getting sick should the water be ingested by people. Many times, E. Coli is routed to streams via stormwater runoff. When it rains, stormwater runs over the ground and finds its way to the nearest gutter, which leads to pipes under our streets, which oftentimes discharges into our creeks. This stormwater picks up all sorts of pollution, including dirt, trash, nutrients, and bacteria that can make people sick, make the water dirty or harm habitat for aquatic species. There are many types of stormwater "Best Management Practices." The Bio-infiltration basin that will be constructed in Irving Park will capture stromwater and filter it through plants, rock and soil, before it trickles into the groundwater and eventually into Keene creek. The filtration provided by the basin will remove pollutants and cool down the water, something that doesn't happen when stormwater just runs off, untreated, into our waterways.
Project Update:
Summer 2023: The City is working with Barr Engineering Co. to develop and refine conceptual design options for the bio-filtration basin in terms of estimated performance and cost.
Funding Source:
Funding for this project is being provided by the Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program, administered by the US Army Corps of Engineers.
