Orono Community Management Plan 2020-2040

Home Browse Search

City of Orono Surface Water Management Plan February 2019 18 revocation of permits, direct correction by the City, action against financial security, and ultimately misdemeanor charges leading to fines, imprisonment or both. The ordinance provisions pertain to projects that disturb one acre or more or involve excavation or grading of 25 cubic yards or more in non- shoreland areas and 10 cubic yards or more in shoreland areas. Orono’s Floodplain and Shoreland Ordinances, City Code Chapter 78, include provisions for the protection of these lands. Since 1975, Orono has regulated hardcover on properties within 1,000 feet of lakes through its shoreland ordinance. In 1992, hardcover regulations were added for properties within 300 feet of Painters, Long Lake, Wolsfeld, Stubbs Bay, and Dickey Lake creeks. Hardcover is any surface that does not allow direct absorption of rainfall into the ground. Limiting hardcover helps improve water quality and promotes aquifer recharge. The shoreland ordinance also stipulates setbacks and minimum lot sizes for properties within the defined shoreland overlay district. All this information is provided to project proposers through the City building permit application. Chapter 78 also provides for the protection of wetlands. However, since all wetlands within the City are within the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) and in an effort to avoid overlapping or conflicting regulations, the City defers jurisdiction for the regulation of wetlands to the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District. If application of MCWD regulations is in conflict with city regulations, the Watershed District requirements shall apply. The City is currently assessing Stormwater Ponds through its MS4 Program. However, the assessment for the entire City has not been completed as of November 2018. The City intends to complete the initial phase of assessment (identify stormwater treatment basins and responsibility) for the entire City by the end of 2019. Once the initial phase is completed, the City intends to begin review of effectiveness and maintenance needs of each individual facility. For private storm sewer infrastructure, the City includes provisions within developer’s agreements for each project. These provisions include long term operation and maintenance requirements appropriate for the specific system. Orono constructs developer’s agreements that outline requirements for privately owned stormwater facilities. Provision for these private infrastructure maintenance agreements are part of the City’s SWPPP. MCWD is responsible for local administration of Construction Site Runoff Control, Permanent Stormwater Management, and the Wetland Conservation Act in Orono. For projects that do not meet MCWD thresholds for their rule requirements, Orono will review these projects with a philosophy of seeking phosphorus reduction through BMP implementation whenever such implementation is feasible and cost effective. At a minimum, any proposed improvements will be required to limit proposed peak stormwater runoff rates for the 2, 10, and 100 year, 24 hour events to existing peak rates for the same events and subject to the minimum criteria outlined in the NPDES MS4, Construction Activity, and Multi-Sector permits as applicable. 3.4 MINNEHAHA CREEK WATERSHED DISTRICT (MCWD) In 1955, the Minnesota State Legislature established the Watershed Act. This act provided the means to create watershed districts, special purpose units of local government with broad authority to regulate land use planning, flood control and conservation issues. In 1982, the legislature approved the Metropolitan Surface Water Management Act, Chapter 103B of Minnesota Statutes. This act requires all metro-area local governments to address surface water management through participation in a Watershed Management Organization (WMO). A WMO can