Spring Creek Stabilization Project Complete
Posted: 04/10/25
The Lower Minnesota River Watershed District (LMRWD) is thrilled to announce that construction for the Spring Creek stabilization project is complete! Project construction concluded in 2024, but planning for the project dates back more than 5 years. In 2018, two landowners in Carver, Minnesota, raised concerns about Spring Creek causing impacts to their private property. More specifically, the creek had begun to wash away the foundation of garages and driveways. Due to growing development near to and upstream, runoff from the watershed entering Spring Creek had increased, leading to erosion of the creek’s banks. The Carver County Soil and Water Conservation District (Carver SWCD) evaluated the properties and proposed a plan for stabilization and restoration. Residents then reached out to LMRWD for cost-share funding and a review of the proposed plans. In 2019, LMRWD assessed Spring Creek’s condition and determined that the creek would continue to shift and had the potential to severely damage private property if action was not taken.
These analyses prompted the Spring Creek Stabilization project. LMRWD retained ISG as the project engineer, responsible for designing erosion control and stabilization measures. Sunram Construction, Inc. of Corcoran, Minnesota was later awarded the construction contract for the project. Construction activities included vegetation and tree removal and clearing on the creek’s banks, removing downed trees and debris within the stream channel, installing rip rap, live stakes, and coir log benches, and bank grading and revegetation. Construction on Spring Creek began in late November and concluded shortly before the Thanksgiving holiday.
The Spring Creek Stabilization project is comprised of two areas, Site 1 (112 5th Street West) and Site 2 (404 Broadway Street). Proposed construction impacts included 95 feet (146 sq. ft) of disturbance on the northern bank at Site 1 and 78 feet (350 sq. ft) of disturbance on the northern bank at Site 2.
There are numerous benefits that this project provides to the Spring Creek ecosystem and surrounding private property! At Site 1, hydraulic modeling showed that creek’s velocity slowed following project completion. A slower stream means less erosion along the banks. At Site 2, riprap was installed to reroute the creek channel away from a garage’s foundation that was previously facing severe undermining and erosion due to channel flow. Project changes led to a larger bend in the stream channel. This bend decreases the potential erosional force on the bank, therefore better protecting the foundation of the garage. We are excited to announce that construction has been substantially completed on these important site stabilizations. Final stabilization requires completion in spring growing conditions, which will occur in May 2025.
