Public Notice of Open Forum
| To: |
Public Interested in the Bassett
Creek Watershed |
| From: |
Bassett Creek Water Management
Commission |
| Subject: |
Second
Generation Plan |
| Date: |
September 8, 2000 |
The Bassett
Creek Water Management Commission (BCWMC) is preparing its Second Generation (water
management) Plan. Revisions to the existing plan are necessary in order to comply with the
provisions of the Metropolitan Area Local Water Management Rules (Minnesota Rules Chapter
8410), the Metropolitan Surface Water Management Rules 103B and the approved county
groundwater and other regional plans. The objective of this notice is to invite the public
and other interested parties to participate in an open house-type forum where information
will be provided regarding the history of BCWMC and the second generation plan, a
presentation of the draft Purpose and Strategy Statement of the Commission and list of
issues pertinent to the planning process, and to offer opportunity for the public to give
input. A key part of this effort is to incorporate public concerns into the management and
planning of watershed activities.
The open house will be on Wednesday, November 1, 2000, from 4:00
p.m. until 8:00 p.m., in the City Council Chamber Room at the City of Golden Valley, 7800
Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley.
What is the BCWMC?
The BCWMC was formed in 1969 to manage the water
resources within Bassett Creek watershed. Its purpose is to manage surface water resources
in the watershed as it develops with recent emphasis on maintaining and enhancing the
quality of surface and ground water resources in the watershed. Representatives from the
nine municipalities within the watershed make up the Commission. The nine municipalities
represented by the BCWMC include:
• Crystal
• New Hope
• Golden Valley
• Plymouth
• Medicine Lake
• Robbinsdale
• Minneapolis
• St. Louis Park
• Minnetonka
The Bassett Creek Watershed covers more than 40 square miles and is
divided into the following four major subwatersheds:
- Main Stem:
the Main Stem of Bassett Creek originates in Medicine Lake and
generally flows east to the Mississippi River. It drains portions of southeast Plymouth,
northeast Minnetonka, a large portion of Golden Valley, northwest St.
Louis Park, southern Crystal, southern New Hope, southern Robbinsdale
and a portion of Minneapolis.
- Medicine Lake Branch:
the Medicine Lake Branch drains parts of northwest Golden
Valley, southwest New Hope, northern Minnetonka, and portions of Plymouth
that discharge to Plymouth Creek. Plymouth Creek originates in western Plymouth and
generally flows southeast through Plymouth to Medicine Lake.
- North Branch: the North Branch of Bassett Creek drains portions of northeast Plymouth,
southern New Hope and southern Crystal and joins the Main Stem immediately
upstream of Highway 100.
- Sweeney Lake Branch: the Sweeney Lake Branch drains portions of northern St.
Louis Park and southern Golden Valley and joins the Main Stem in Theodore Wirth
Park near Golden Valley Road.
Over the years, the BCWMC has implemented several changes intended to improve
the quality of life in the Bassett Creek Watershed, including several flood control
improvements that were completed between 1982 and 1996 by the BCWMC, St. Paul District
Corps of Engineers, and member municipalities. As part of the process, the Commission
implemented an extensive public participation program to involve citizens in the
decision-making process. Some of the more significant water quality and flood control
improvements include:
- Completion of a new $28,000,000 tunnel to carry Bassett Creek through Minneapolis to the
Mississippi River. About $10,000,000 was saved by constructing only one enlarged tunnel,
designed for several uses. The Commission also succeeded in obtaining funding for 75% of
the total project from the federal government and other state agencies.
- Construction of ten channel crossing improvements, five control structures and storage
basins and removal of a bridge along Bassett Creek.
- Replacement of the Medicine Lake dam and construction of the Plymouth Creek fish barrier
in Plymouth to improve the quality of Medicine Lake.
- Completion of the Highway 55 control structure in Minneapolis in June 1987, that
prevented millions of dollars in flood damages from the 1987 "Super Storm,"
which occurred one month later.
- Floodproofing of several homes. The techniques that were used have been recognized as
state-of-the-art and have become a model for floodproofing residential structures
throughout the country.
- Construction of the Wisconsin Avenue and Golden Valley Country Club flood control
structures in Golden Valley.
- Construction of the Bassett Creek Park flood control and water quality project in
Crystal.
In 1997, the Bassett Creek Water Management Commission was awarded the Governor’s
Commendation at the Governor’s Partnership in Minnesota Conference. The award was in
recognition of the Bassett Creek Water Management Partnership efforts with the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers-St. Paul District, the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the City of Crystal, and the Bassett Creek
Water Management Commission. The partnership project involved the construction of a
multi-purpose water management system that the public saved hundreds of thousands of
dollars, while the project improves water quality, controls floodwaters, and provides more
open space.
In 1992, the BCWMC started its water quality program. Since then, the Commission has:
- Adopted a water quality policy in 1994 to provide protection and improvement to water
resources.
- Prepared individual Lake and Watershed Management Plans for 13 water bodies.
- Reviewed over 260 individual water quality plans as part of development proposals during
the previous five years.
In addition, the Commission regularly performs water quality monitoring for ten primary
water bodies.
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