Sweeney Lake Water Quality Improvement Project - Federal Clean Water Act Section 319 - Workplan - Budget

Sep 12, 2026

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Federal Clean Water Act Section 319 project workplan detailing the Sweeney Lake Water Quality Improvement Project, including organizational roles, contacts, project location, schedule, and total cost. The plan targets reducing total phosphorus by removing and managing common carp in Schaper Pond and applying an in-lake alum treatment. It summarizes impaired-water history, monitoring results, prior BMP efforts, the Schaper Pond diversion approach, and modeled internal and external phosphorus sources to meet TMDL objectives.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time2 min

AccessFree to download

Project title

Project summary

Statement of problems, opportunities, and existing conditions

Project impact

Goals, objectives, tasks, and subtasks

Attachment A Federal Clean Water Act Section 319 Project workplan Doc Type: Contract | Swift \#: | 169806 | | --- | --- | | Purchase Order \#: | 3000025500 | | Agency Interest ID \#: | 190445 | | Activity ID \#: | PRO20190001 | Project title: Sweeney Lake Water Quality Improvement Project 1. Project summary: Organization: Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission (BCWMC) Contractor contact name: Laura Jester Title: Administrator Address: 16145 Hillcrest Lane Eden Prairie, MN 55346 Phone: 952-270-1990 Email: [Laura.jester@keystonewaters.com](Laura.jester@keystonewaters.com) Subcontractor/Partner: Barr Engineering Co. (and their subcontractors: Carp Solutions , a firm specializing in alum Organization: treatments—TBD, and a firm specializing in aquatic herbicide treatment—TBD) Project manager: Greg Wilson, PE Address: 4300 MarketPointe Drive, Suite 200 Minneapolis, MN 55435 Phone: (952) 832-2672 Email: [gwilson@barr.com](gwilson@barr.com) Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) contact: MPCA project manager: Timothy Schwarz Title: Environmental Specialist Address: 520 Lafayette Road North St. Paul, MN 55155 Phone: (651) 757-2426 E-mail: [timothy.schwarz@state.mn.us](timothy.schwarz@state.mn.us) Project information Latitude/Longitude: 44.993135 , -93.338771 County: Hennepin Start Date: 12/20/2019 End Date: 08/31/2023 Total project cost: Grant: $330,000, Match: $238 ,080 , Total: $568,080 Project location: a) Basin: Lake Superior Lower Mississippi/Cedar Upper Mississippi Minnesota Rainy Red River Des Moines Missouri St. Croix b) Watershed name: Bassett Creek Watershed (Mississippi River – HUC8: 07010206 Twin Cities) Organization type: Local/Regional government State government Joint powers organization of local government 2. Statement of problems, opportunities, and existing conditions Project background This project aims to significantly improve the water quality and reduce total phosphorus in Sweeney Lake by 1) removing and managing carp in Schaper Pond , immediately upstream of the lake; and 2) performing an alum treatment within the lake. Sweeney Lake is a 67-acre lake in the City of Golden Valley, Minnesota , with a maximum depth of 25 feet and an average depth of 12 feet. The lake provides recreational value for fishing, boating, and swimming; and it harbors a variety of panfish, a limited game fishery , and an average plant community. The lake is the receiving waterbody of a 2,400-acre fully developed watershed. Nearly all of the flow to the lake enters through the Sweeney Branch of Bassett Creek. The creek flows from the south and through Schaper Pond , which is immediately upstream of Sweeney Lake. The creek exits the lake through a natural outlet to the north. Sweeney Lake was added to the 303(d) list of impaired waters in 2004 due to excess phosphorus. A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) was completed and approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2011 and identified the need to reduce internal phosphorus loading by 32% or 175 pounds per summer season. Despite numerous best management practices (BMPs) installed or implemented in its watershed over the years, water quality in Sweeney Lake has not improved significantly. Regular monitoring from 1985 to the present indicates that total phosphorus concentrations exceeded the state standard of 40 ug/L 74% of the time. Further, the lake has a history of Harmful Algae Blooms , negatively impacting the lake’s recreational usability. In order for an alum treatment to be most effective, watershed loading of phosphorus should be reduced to the greatest extent possible before carrying out the treatment. To that end, in 2015 the BCWMC and the City of Golden Valley implemented the Schaper Pond Diversion Project in Schaper Pond, immediately upstream of Sweeney Lake. The project diverted water, via a 380-foot floating water baffle, within the pond along a long

FAQs

What are the two main actions planned for Sweeney Lake water quality improvement?

The project plans to remove and manage carp in Schaper Pond and perform an alum treatment within Sweeney Lake to reduce total phosphorus.

Why is the project focused on Schaper Pond upstream of the lake?

Monitoring and further study indicate elevated phosphorus leaving Schaper Pond, likely driven by a large carp population that contributes to phosphorus loading into Sweeney Lake.

What is the project targeting from a regulatory perspective?

The workplan aims to meet Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) objectives by reducing internal and external phosphorus loads so Sweeney Lake can meet state and program goals for water quality.

Sep 12, 2026

Upload by Ben