Villa Park Improvement Project

Maintaining Wetland Effectiveness

The Villa Park wetland is located within public space in Roseville upstream of Lake McCarrons. The wetland includes a system of weirs, or low dams to regulate water flow, which are designed to remove phosphorus and solids from stormwater before it enters Lake McCarrons. Since 2004, Capitol Region Watershed District (CRWD) and Ramsey County Public Works have monitored the system to measure its effectiveness. Because weirs impound water behind them and alter the flow regime of a wetland, they can have an effect on the local ecology. After initial monitoring was completed in 2006, CRWD identified performance issues that needed to be addressed.

The Challenge

CRWD water quality monitoring and data analysis showed that the wetlands may have become a source of dissolved phosphorus to Lake McCarrons and the sediment removal efficiency of the system had significantly decreased over the past several decades. As reported in the 2006 Monitoring Report, the Villa Park weir system appeared to not be functioning as designed.

“Careful maintenance of stormwater projects is critically important for preserving water resources in the District. With Villa Park, our monitoring and research alerted us to problems, allowing us to be able take corrective action.” – Bob Fossum, Research and Monitoring Division Manager for CRWD

The Solution

This project, led by CRWD and coordinated with the City of Roseville, is a key component of the city’s master plan for Villa Park. The main goal of the project was to improve water quality treatment of the Villa Park wetland system by removing accumulated sediments in the ponds and wetlands. The work included dredging approximately 20,000 cubic yards of soft, accumulated sediment, dewatering the sediment in two designated park areas, hauling the dewatered sediment to a landfill, and restoring the construction areas. The project also disabled historic drainage tile and managed vegetation in the wetland to improve water flow and quality. Construction of the Villa Park Wetland Weir System was one of the first large capital improvement projects undertaken by CRWD.

Results

Roseville received CRWD’s 2017 Watershed Partner Award for its work on the Villa Park wetland restoration. The city was recognized for its leadership and support of clean water projects that protect our water resources. Since completing the Villa Park project, the city has provided significant technical and financial support to help build other clean water projects to improve water quality within the District.

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