Project Background:
A unique feature dominating the landscape of the City of River Falls is the Kinnickinnic (Kinni) River, a Class I trout stream that flows through the center of town.  Recognizing the unique character of the Kinnickinnic, River Falls has invested time and money in the river corridor for the future enjoyment of fishing enthusiasts, hikers, canoeists and kayakers.  The river is one of the premier, naturally sustaining trout fisheries in the Midwest, primarily producing brown trout.  The Kinni arises from a series of large springs three miles north of Interstate 94, then flows southwesterly for 23 miles before entering the St. Croix River.  In the vicinity of River Falls, the river is broad and shallow, averaging 40 feet wide and a foot deep.

Over the years, numerous projects have been implemented to protect and improve the condition of the river.  In 2002, the City adopted a new Stormwater Management Ordinance, which is designed to protect the Kinnickinnic River from the negative impacts of stormwater runoff associated with new development.  The ordinance requires developers of new homes and businesses to utilize best management practices (BMPs) that infiltrate storm water runoff from rain events of 1.5 inches or less.  Examples of these infiltration BMPs are grass swales, rain gardens, and large-development scale networks of ponds and infiltration areas.  In the pond network, a wet detention pond collects and holds the storm water runoff and settles out pollutants such as suspended solids and nutrients.  The cleaner water from the wet pond is gradually channeled to an infiltration area, where it percolates through the soil to recharge the groundwater system.

Project Approach:                                                   
There has been a lot of concern about how new developments will affect the river, not only by the increase in runoff and chemicals from lawns, cars, etc., but also from pedestrian traffic.  As the Kinnickinnic River is one of the best coldwater streams in the state, there is a great concern to keep the aquatic community in the river healthy.  In order to take an active role in the river's health and well being, the City has implemented a testing program aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of our Stormwater Management Ordinance in preventing degradation of the Kinnickinnic River due to new City developments.   This project takes a two pronged approach:

Project Goals:
The goals of this project are to:

1.  Identify the present condition of the Kinnickinnic River in through a number of measures and tests.

2.  To continually monitor the river during the build-out phase of new subdivisions

3.  To continue to study the impact of the increase in human population near the river after the developments are in place and thriving.

Project Scope:
The City applied for a grant with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR).  The City did not however receive funding for this project, therefore, the project scope has been limited to the what was deemed essential.  The current scope of work includes:

The City will examine the results of each of these four elements to determine how new developments are or are not affecting the river under the new storm water ordinance.  Our hope is that due to the infiltration requirements, the water quality and thermal impacts of development will be undetectable or greatly reduced.
 

Results at a glance:
2007 Project Indicators

The Thermal Impacts of
Storm Water

Ecology of the Kinnickinnic River:

Organisms
Fish
Macroinvertebrates

Chemical
Water Chemistry