On 61 acres of city-owned land, the South Washington Watershed District seized a rare opportunity to build a new park in Woodbury, Minnesota, that protects lake water quality, nurtures native habitat, and builds public awareness of stormwater management.
The district first hired Barr to evaluate options for preventing excessive nutrients from entering nearby Powers Lake. With a preferred option in hand, the district then hired Barr’s multi-disciplinary team to design a stormwater treatment solution that transformed the undeveloped property into a stormwater-inspired park.
Because the site was undeveloped, there were few limitations to treatment design—allowing the Barr team to fully optimize basin size and pump flows for a highly effective solution. A wetland on the property that was once a source of excessive nutrients to Powers Lake now drains to a series of artful infiltration basins that capture stormwater, filter it, and allow it to seep into the ground.
Soil excavated during basin construction was kept on site to create interesting topography and a park overlook. Barr’s landscape architects adorned the basins with stone spillways and crossings that allow visitors to see and hear water movement. Sculptures and interpretive elements were integrated to inspire appreciation of water quality and the role native plants can play in stormwater management. Unique plantings were selected for each basin that expand the habitat provided by adjacent Hasenbank Woods.
This innovative park provides multiple benefits: water quality improvement, diverse habitats, education, and a unique place for people to experience. Sustainability, biodiversity, soil health, and resiliency were priorities during design, combining the best of a biological solution with an engineered framework.