Projects

SEA School - Wildwood Park Flood Reduction Project

Golden Valley

Project Number: BC-2, 3, 8, 10

Project Status | Active

The feasibility study was approved by the BCWMC at the June 17, 2021 meeting with plans to implement Concept #3. A public hearing on this project was held on September 16, 2021. At that meeting, the project was officially ordered and an agreement with the City of Golden Valley to design and construct the project was approved. 50% project designs were approved January 2022 and 90% designs were approved in October 2022. Construction began in spring 2023 with the bulk of construction slated to be completed by late summer/early fall 2023.

Project Funding | Grant Funded

The estimated cost for this project is $3.1 million. The BCWMC will use an ad valorem tax levied on all watershed residents by Hennepin County to fund approximately $1.3 million (over two years) for this project. The remainder of the funding will come from a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MnDNR) Flood Damage Reduction Grant program, city funds, and other sources.

Project Description

The Medicine Lake Road and Winnetka Avenue Area Long Term Flood Mitigation (MLRWA) Plan,completed in partnership by the Cities of Golden Valley, New Hope, and Crystal, identified multiple projects estimated at more than $22M that are needed to help alleviate flooding at the low point on Medicine Lake Road and adjacent properties just east of Winnetka Avenue, and downstream at DeCola Ponds. The SEA School/Wildwood Park Flood Storage Project is the second project from the MLRWA Plan to be constructed as a BCWMC capital improvement project. The first project—the DeCola Ponds B & C Improvement Project—was completed in summer 2020 and provides expanded flood storage and water quality treatment volume in the Medicine Lake Road and DeCola Ponds B & C area.

This project will reduce the flood risk around DeCola Ponds d, E, and F by creating an additional 8.5 acre-feet of flood storage thereby removing 10 homes on DeCola Pond D from the 100-year flood level and removing 3 homes on DeCola Ponds E & F from the 100-year flood level. Additional benefits of the project water quality improvements (4.1 lbs of total phosphorus removed annually from stormwater that flows into Bassett Creek), and creation of 2.3 acres of wetland and prairie habitats. (See "Concept #3 drawing" to the right.)

This project will be constructed in 2023 and will utilize BCWMC capital improvement funding along with a Minnesota Flood Damage Reduction Grant from the MN Department of Natural Resources.

Input from nearby residents and interested members of the public was gathered during the feasibility study and during the design. Golden Valley Project webpage: www.goldenvalleymn.gov/645/SEA-SchoolWildwood-Park-Flood-Reduction-.

Project Announcements

Construction began in spring 2023 with the majority of the construction slated for completion in late summer/early fall 2023. Progress will be posted regularly on the City of Golden Valley project page at https://www.goldenvalleymn.gov/645/SEA-SchoolWildwood-Park-Flood-Reduction-

Detailed project map