City, Watershed to Collaborate on Mitigation

The city of Albert Lea and the Shell Rock River Watershed District are collaborating on a project to reduce flooding in Fountain and Albert Lea lakes.

The district is partnering with the city on a grant agreement for the city to use the district's approximately $350,000 from 2010 emergency flood mitigation bond dollars for a stormwater pond and flood mitigation in the Albert Lea North Industrial Park.

The project calls for the construction of a retention pond south of Hammer Road to control and keep stormwater longer from the North Industrial Park before it runs into the lakes.

The grant agreement will cover half the cost of constructing the retention pond, City Engineer

Steven Jahnke said. He said the other half of the funding will come from city funds. Jahnke was pleased with the agreement.

"It's a great thing," he said.

The Albert Lea City Council approved the grant compliance agreement Nov. 9, and the Shell

Rock River Watershed District Board of Managers approved the agreement Nov. 10.

The North Industrial Park includes Mrs. Gerry's Kitchen, Albert Lea Select Foods, Minnesota

Corrugated Box and other businesses.

Andy Henschel, Shell Rock River Watershed District director of field operations, hopes the project can begin sometime this fall and be completed in 2016.

"It should give us a good bang for our buck for flood mitigation," Henschel said.

He said these kind of projects provide the district the opportunity to work together with other entities on projects.

The watershed district is also collaborating with the city on flood mitigation in the Stables area. Henschel said he hopes the city and watershed district can collaborate on more projects like this in the future.

"These are important projects for the watershed district and the city to try to reduce the flooding issues within the city of Albert Lea, which also has an effect on water quality in our lakes," Henschel said.