The MS4 permit issued by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) allows the city to channel polluted city water via the storm water system into our public waters as long as substantial and credible efforts are made by the city to 'clean up' the polluted water. The efforts made by the city are highlighted in a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). This plan was subjected to review before the SLP City Council in June 2015. Below are comments presented before the City Council for the public record by Friends of Bass Lake:

2016 FRIENDS OF BASS LAKE QUESTIONS FOR ST. LOUIS PARK ENGINEERING STAFF CONCERNING THE REVIEW OF STORM WATER POLLUTION PREVENTION PLAN.

The Board of Friends of Bass Lake advocates restoring a large area--20 to 30 acres-- of Bass Lake to open water.

The DNR and the Army Corp of Engineers require permits to dredge the basin for open water. These permits are contingent upon a storm water management plan that remediates the lake’s current function as a storm water retention pond, thereby requiring clean water inflow to the basin.

The St. Louis Park current SWPPP required by the MN Pollution Control Agency does not include the Bass Lake project nor the upstream retention and treatment that reduce the pollution now entering Bass Lake in storm water runoff. However, the Friends of Bass Lake believe this an opportunity to ask specific questions of those responsible for the storm water plan in an effort to address the immediate and higher hurdle that the restoration of Bass Lake requires.

1.    What is the cumulative volume of water flowing into Bass Lake from the Bass Lake sub watershed?

2.    What is the condition of this water?

3.    What is the holding capacity of the lake?

4.    What physical sites have been identified for upstream retention ponds?

5.    What engineered conveyances have been identified and certified for storm water treatment?

6.    Who has been tasked with designing the future Bass Lake sub watershed storm water plan so that dredging applications will be successful?

7.    What is the estimated cost and timeline for the construction of an engineered storm water plan?

Thank you,

Scott Carpenter

3924 Randall Avenue St. Louis Park

Board member Friends of Bass Lake

How's the city doing and what were the answers to our questions? (more to come)