Challenge

The City of Shafer is one of the fastest growing cities in Minnesota. Rapid development in this Chisago County community has extended demands on the City’s entire infrastructure. The existing stormwater system is at capacity. A developer applied to build 200 single family houses. If approved without stormwater management, runoff from the development would flood the City. The City then retained Thatcher Engineering to determine the best way to provide stormwater management.

Solution:

Thatcher Engineering prepared a feasibility study that evaluated several viable alternatives. Thatcher proposed Low Impact Development (LID). LID is an approach to land development (or redevelopment) that works with nature to manage stormwater as close to its source as possible. LID emphasizes water infiltration, values water as a resource, promotes the use of natural systems to treat runoff and is a way to mimic the natural process and to avoid water pollution. It is recognized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a Best Management Practice for stormwater and can remove pollutants from stormwater runoff that would otherwise wash directly into rivers and lakes. Thatcher and the City found that low impact development was the most cost effective solution. The City then retained Thatcher to prepare plans and specifications and provide construction contract administration and observation services. Contractors constructed the development.