Water Resources Management Plans
The City of Bloomington is at the forefront of natural resources in order to build a resilient and adaptable urban ecology that mutually benefits all residents and visitors of Bloomington. Please select the following links to learn more about and access each document
ATTENTION: Notice of Adopted Updated Local Surface Water Management Plan Effective June 25, 2018
Notice is hereby given the Bloomington City Council adopted an updated Local Surface Water Management Plan on Monday , June 25, 2018. The Local Surface Water Management Plan has been developed to meet local watershed management planning requirements of the Metropolitan Surface Water Management Act (Chapter 103B) and Board of Water and Soil Resources Rules 8410. It has also been developed to be in conformance with the requirements of local Watershed Management Organizations and Districts, Metropolitan Council requirements, Hennepin County goals, and applicable State and Federal laws. The updated Plan includes updates to the city’s land and water resource inventory, goals and policies, problems and corrective actions, implementation program, financial considerations, and amendment procedures.
This document and its referenced literature are intended to provide a comprehensive inventory of pertinent water resource related information that affects the City and management of those resources. The document that follows is the current Local Surface Water Management Plan used to determine city stormwater requirements for permit applications and development reviews submitted after June 25, 2018.
Executive Summary-
Introduction and Purpose-
Land and Water Resource Inventory-
Establishment of Goals & Policies-
Assessment of Problems & Corrective Actions-
Implementation Program-
Financial Considerations-
Amendment Procedures-
Appendices-
What is the Plan?
The City of Bloomington finished its Wetland Protection and Management Plan in June 1997. The Plan is one of the first of its kind for cities in Minnesota. It presents a comprehensive inventory and study of the City's wetlands. The City prepared the Plan as a requirement of a larger plan they are currently working on, the Comprehensive Surface Water Management Plan. The City proposes to finish the Comprehensive Surface Water Management Plan by mid-1999. The overall goal of both plans is to provide a detailed framework to address the City's surface water issues.
Why was it needed?
Wetlands were a part of the landscape in Bloomington long before the first human being arrived in the area. They are part of a dynamic natural system that changes constantly. This system has changed much more rapidly due to human influences. Society has been slow to recognize the benefits that wetlands offer and the impact that centuries of human disturbance have had on wetlands and the larger ecosystem. This plan was prepared as a means of slowing or halting the wetland disturbances caused by human activity
This Wetland Protection and Management Plan meets the requirements of Minnesota Rules, Chapter 8420, part 8420.0650. The plan is consistent with the pertinent goals and policies of the watershed districts and the watershed management organization that have jurisdiction in portions of the City. It also addresses the requirements of Hennepin County and the Metropolitan Council.
Why are wetlands important?
One must understand why it is important to preserve wetlands before one can see the need for the recommendations presented in this plan. A healthy wetland can perform many beneficial functions:
- It can serve as a filter to absorb polluted surface water runoff before it enters lakes or creeks.
- A wetland can store water; thus providing flood protection in times of heavy rainfall and a source of groundwater recharge.
- It provides a home and a source of food for many types of native and migratory birds and wildlife.
- Wetlands provide numerous recreational and educational opportunities.
- In some cases, wetlands even provide commercial benefits, such as wild rice production.
The ability of a wetland to perform particular functions is often directly related to the degree of human influence on the tributary drainage area of a wetland.
What is in the Plan?
Wetland inventory
City staff inventoried approximately 300 wetlands in Bloomington. Wetlands located in or below the Minnesota River Valley were not included. The City ranked wetlands based on their functions and values, how they are managed, and their susceptibility to storm water and snow melt runoff. The plan recommends specific actions to be taken to provide for appropriate management of the wetlands in the future. The Plan also explains the processes used to conduct the inventory and the City's wetland classification system.
History of Bloomington wetlands
The Plan presents a brief history of Bloomington wetlands. Human interference, including agriculture and development, has caused the disappearance and degradation of many of the City's wetlands over time. The status of wetlands in Bloomington from the time of Pre-European contact to the present is discussed.
Assessment of needs for each wetland
Each wetland was inventoried and studied to address specific needs. This was done on a sub-watershed, or drainage area, basis. The Plan provides a general description of each of the 20 sub-watersheds that have wetlands, along with an overview of wetland quality and a summary of recommendations. Specific recommendations for each wetland in a sub-watershed are presented in a tabular format.
Existing City policy/ordinances for Bloomington
The Plan reviews various City policies, ordinances and programs that already exist to address wetland issues. Recommendations for changes or the additions to these policies, ordinances or programs are discussed in order to facilitate implementation of the Wetland Protection and Management Plan.
Recommendations
The Plan discusses the recommendations for capital improvements and the reasons for them. The Recommendations section also discusses the need for operation and maintenance of infrastructure facilities.
Implementation Program
The Implementation section explains the prioritization of recommendations, the implementation schedule, and the estimated cost of each project or program. It also lists the divisions within the City that would be responsible for implementation of various portions of the plan and provides a list of possible funding sources for various plan components.
Where can I view the Plan?
Copies of the City of Bloomington's Wetland Protection and Management Plan can also be found at:
- Bloomington City Hall, 1800 West Old Shakopee Road
- Public Works Building, 1700 W. 98th Street
- Bloomington Public Libraries
The Lower Penn Lake management plan resulted from changes to the operation of the groundwater well on Lower Penn Lake. A change in State Law resulted in permitting restrictions that reduced the amount of groundwater pumping from the well on Lower Penn Lake. To address concerns about the water level in Lower Penn Lake without augmentation the City of Bloomington Engineering Division worked with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Nine Mile Creek Watershed District, and Public to gather information and ultimately develop a management plan for Lower Penn Lake.
The management plan identifies potential specific actions or improvements for Lower Penn Lake to address public input, agency direction, state statute, and to establish a future management direction for the lake. This document serves as an outline to identify an appropriate future long-term management strategy for Lower Penn Lake.
For further information, contact the City of Bloomington Engineering Division, 1700 West 98th Street, Bloomington, MN 55431, or phone 952-563-4867.