Location
Forest Lake Area Schools
Overview
“The construction of an onsite stormwater capture and reuse system, and the development of integrated curriculum, has provided a laboratory experience where students can explore, observe, and analyze the sustainability of this new technology in several different courses.”
– Mike Miron, Forest Lake Area High School Career & Tech Ed/Work Based Learning Coordinator
Sectors
A partnership was developed amongst the City of Forest Lake; Rice Creek Watershed District; the Minnesota Department of Health; Forest Lake Area Schools; Forest Lake High School environmental, biology, and agriculture faculty; and the student-led environmental club. Their commitment to environmental protection, education, and sustainability brought unique perspectives to this project that received more than $500,000 from the Board of Water and Soil Resources Clean Water Fund.
The first phase at Forest Lake High School included a new stormwater basin to filter and treat stormwater. The basin was converted to a wet pond to store water and receive runoff from a drainage area of 19.9 acres, including 14.3 acres of impervious surfaces. In order to irrigate approximately 12 acres of athletic fields, this pond provides a storage volume for the existing irrigation system. Stormwater pond retrofits and a new irrigation infrastructure helps reduce the high school’s potable groundwater usage by more than 4 million gallons per year.
Through science and technology curriculum development, teachers and students will monitor water used compared to stormwater harvested for irrigation.
Awards
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Minnesota Chapter of the American Public Works Association – 2019 Environmental Stewardship Award
