Storm pond problem solving

Stormwater ponds are extremely important components of our community’s drainage system. The City of Savage has 284 stormwater ponds that help manage stormwater runoff generated by impervious surfaces like rooftops and pavement. These ponds are not designed to be recreational ponds for fishing or boating, and they are not permitted solely to beautify the landscape. Instead, they are engineered devices constructed to moderate flood surges and reduce stormwater pollution.

Routine maintenance of stormwater ponds is essential to ensure they continue functioning as intended. Each year, the city evaluates the maintenance needs of stormwater ponds. It performs maintenance activities that include pond surveys, water quality samplings, tree removal/vegetation management, erosion repair, and potentially sediment removal. The city uses a prioritization tool to help guide which ponds need sediment removal. So, what can residents do to help manage common stormwater pond problems?  

1. Don’t feed waterfowl
Although migratory by nature, ducks, geese, and swans often choose to reside in stormwater ponds year-round because there are few predatory threats, and they can find suitable habitats. If you want to reduce the number of waterfowl in your pond, stop feeding them! The primary reason why waterfowl aggregate to stormwater ponds is that humans are supplementing their diet. 

2. Don’t stock ponds with fish (goldfish, koi, etc.)
Koi and goldfish are invasive species, and if they are dumped into a stormwater pond, it can cause significant problems. Not only can these species live up to 25 years, but they reproduce rapidly and can survive frigid Minnesota winters. And unfortunately, they also have voracious appetites and can quickly demolish all the food sources that other (good) fish depend on. But the really big problem is once these invasive species are in a water body, they are not easy to remove.    

3. Do install a native vegetative buffer around the pond
Wetland plants along the shoreline help filter pollutants in runoff, absorb nutrients that grow algae, trap sediment and yard debris, deter nuisance wildlife, provide coverage and forage for fish and invertebrates and dampen wind and wave energy. 

To learn more, go to cityofsavage.com. 

Mayor’s Challenge for water conservation April 1 - 30

Mayor Janet Williams is joining mayors across the country, asking residents to make a long-term commitment to reduce pollution and manage water resources more wisely. Savage residents can participate throughout April by going to mywaterpledge.com to pledge to conserve water and save energy during Earth Month. It’s free and only takes 1 minute. By pledging, participants promise to follow a series of conservation measures for their homes, yards and cars, such as washing only full loads of laundry, fixing leaky faucets, and walking or biking short distances. 

As a part of the city’s pledge to conserve water, the City of Savage is allocating a portion of the $3.53 million in ARPA funding for a new irrigation system at Community Park. This new irrigation system, which will reuse water from city retention ponds to maintain the park fields, is estimated to reduce the city’s water usage at the park by 1.7 – 4.3 million gallons per year. In addition to saving water, the infrastructure project will also reduce runoff to the Credit River and improve water quality.  

Join us in taking the pledge, saving water and energy, and reducing pollution!