Orono Community Management Plan 2020-2040

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City of Orono Surface Water Management Plan February 2019 6 In the 1950's increasing urbanization all around Lake Minnetonka threatened to environmentally "kill" the Lake by uncontrolled discharge of nutrients. Lake area municipalities began extending sewer systems to eliminate individual septic system discharges, but by 1968, lake water quality was still diminishing. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, together with the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District, commissioned a study of lake pollution. Completed in 1971, the "Harza Study" (A Program for Preserving the Quality of Lake Minnetonka) found that this nutrient input, particularly phosphorus, was being generated from two principal sources: the seven municipal sewage treatment plants within the watershed and urban stormwater runoff. The first major pollution source, nutrient-rich effluent from the sewage treatment plants, was systematically eliminated by multi-million dollar construction of regional sewer interceptors to remove effluent from the watershed. But stormwater runoff is a different matter. Compared to point-source sewage pollution, the collection and treatment of non-point source stormwater runoff is relatively difficult, costly, and often impractical. The development paradox is that if municipal services are extended into rural zones, the cost of these services taxes the land to the point that development is required. Particularly in the case of sewers, even if extended to existing pockets of development "to solve a pollution problem", inflation, topography and sparse settlement combine to send costs skyrocketing. Such costs can be paid only by increasing the level and density of new development, which in turn causes potential degradation of wetlands and increasing levels of stormwater nutrient pollution. This spiral effect results in statistically even greater levels of pollution than the original sewage "problem" might have generated. The cost of solving this problem, either filtering or rerouting the stormwater, has consistently been judged too expensive. Thus, the recommendation of many studies, as already incorporated in MPCA and MnDNR policy, is that lakeshore density be limited and that the natural system of wetlands and marshes be forever protected and preserved as the only practical, economic method of filtering nutrients from stormwater runoff. In response to the above concerns, Orono became a nationally recognized leader in the 1970’s by promoting environmental protection. Land use planning since the 1950's has stressed the environmental advantages of low density development. Long before the Minnesota Wetland Conservation Act (WCA) was passed, shorelands, wetlands and natural drainage systems were preserved in Orono by tradition and by ordinance. Orono's 2040 Land Use Plan will continue this tradition and commitment. 1.5 SWMP STRUCTURE The Orono Surface Water Management Plan is organized as follows: 1.Introduction: offers an introduction to and purpose of the Plan, including a location map of Orono, an overview of Orono’s land use and philosophy of ecologically based planning. 2.Physical Environment: provides an inventory of land and water resources within the City including a description of the physical setting, available and pertinent water resources data, and important natural and conservation areas. 3.Regulatory Setting: includes a comprehensive documentation of the regulatory agencies influencing the management of surface water resources in Orono. 4.Major Issues, Goals and Policies: lists the goals and policies identified to address surface water management needs in Orono. 5.Water Resources Assessment and Implementation Plan: provides an evaluation of current surface water management and stormwater resources within Orono. 6.Administration: outlines the continued administration of this plan with respect to updates and amendments, as well as annual reporting requirements to MCWD and the State.