City to support plans for regional retention pond

• City of Worthington

Worthington City Hall (Brian Korthals/Daily Globe)

Talk about it

WORTHINGTON — In an early morning meeting Wednesday, the Worthington City Council approved support for a regional storm water retention pond to be constructed on the campus of Minnesota West Community and Technical College.

The amount of financial support for the project is yet undetermined, as is the account from which the city will draw funds to help pay for the estimated $300,000 project.

The city’s lake improvement budget or hospital proceeds were mentioned as possible funding sources.

In recent months, Minnesota West has approached Nobles County, the E.O. Olson Trust, Soil and Water Conservation District and the Okabena-Ocheda Watershed District for monetary support for the regional pond.

The pond, estimated at 1.5 acres with a maximum depth of 9 feet, would collect runoff from an approximately 40-acre area on Worthington’s west side.

The holding pond would allow for sediment and pollutants to settle out before the water flows into Lake Okabena.

Other potential funding partners in the project include School District 518 (Worthington Middle School would benefit from the regional pond), the Worthington Country Club and The Meadows.

Both the Lake Okabena Improvement Association and the Southwest Minnesota Fishing Club have offered verbal support for the project.

“A lot of water not connected to the Minnesota West campus is entering the campus from the north and west,” said Gordon Heitkamp, building maintenance foreman for the college. “We thought it would be a wise idea to include that water into our retention pond. It’s the last chance for it to be treated … before it hits the lake.”

Heitkamp said runoff from that area of the community is considered to be among the top three in terms of pollutant loads entering Lake Okabena.

The other two are Whiskey Ditch and Sunset Bay, he added.

On Tuesday, Minnesota West contracted with Short Elliott Hendrickson (SEH) Engineering Inc., to complete an analysis and scope of the project, develop a cost estimate and design the pond.

“Everything we’ve done is concept basis,” said Heitkamp of the work completed thus far.

Council member Ron Wood, former president of Minnesota West, said he’s been looking at the water runoff issues on campus for the past 13 years.

He said anytime it rained, issues were created on campus.

“You can whitewater raft down County Road 10 at times,” said Wood. “I think if we’re talking about clean water and clean water for Lake Okabena, this investment would be good.”

The location of the pond is proposed to begin behind the right field fence of the baseball field on the Minnesota West campus and be shaped in an area between smaller fields. Wood said that particular area is considered unusable ground by the college.

Initially, Minnesota West had considered creation of a smaller, half-acre storm pond to handle runoff just from the campus. A regional pond, however, would address the larger issue in the area — handling water flows from the Worthington Middle School and The Meadows, both located north of the campus.

“The more players we have here, the better of we are as far as moving this project forward,” said Heitkamp.

The college hopes to secure funding from the Minnesota legislature to help pay for the project.

The retention pond is necessary if the college hopes to complete further expansion on campus. Plans to complete an addition to the gymnasium and construct a connection to the YMCA cannot move forward without addressing storm water.

“We’re trying to be proactive for two reasons on this pond — No. 1, it’s the right thing to do in handling storm water. For another reason, it’s just to be ready when, and if, we ever do get funded,” Heitkamp said.

In support of the project, Alderman Mike Kuhle said, “the college represents an economic development opportunity, and we wouldn’t want to do anything to restrict that.”

Tags: nobles county, minnesota west, news, worthington