Spring melt spurs action at sand spill site

Workers are busy at the solar farm and former gravel pit to prevent another overflow caused by seasonal runoff.

By Greg Seitz | March 20, 2019 | 2 minute read

Excavators at work on the north end of the site.
Elevated levee at outlet site.
Trees that were knocked down by floodwaters last fall.

With warm weather, melting snow, and rain possible, efforts are underway to prevent a repeat of an incident last September that buried a St. Croix River creek in sand.

The solar energy company that manages the Scandia site owned by James Zavoral has put heavy equipment operators to work this week. They are excavating retention ponds to increase holding, and have built a higher wall at the spot where stormwater escaped the site and rushed down the bluff and the creek last fall.

After a 4-inch rainfall on Sept. 20 last year, Middle Creek, a spring-fed stream below the site, was inundated in sand and sediment. The bluff and a wetland at its base were also damaged.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says its investigation of the incident is ongoing and therefore it can’t provide comment at this time.

Numerous questions remain, including why the retention basins were not scraped before the solar farm was built, as was required in the permit.

Wendy Green of BHE Renewables, the company which owns the solar energy system, told the Scandia City Council in February that the changes would be able to contain back-to-back 100- year flood events.

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Spring melt spurs action at sand spill site

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<div class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter" data-effect="slide"><div class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper-container"><ul class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrappper swiper-wrapper"><li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"><figure><img alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-17466" data-id="17466" src="https://www.stcroix360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/IMG_1488.jpg"/><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Excavators at work on the north end of the site. </figcaption></figure></li><li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"><figure><img alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-17464" data-id="17464" src="https://www.stcroix360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/20190318_130058-1.jpg"/><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Elevated levee at outlet site. </figcaption></figure></li><li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"><figure><img alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-17465" data-id="17465" src="https://www.stcroix360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/20190318_130238-1.jpg"/><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Trees that were knocked down by floodwaters last fall.</figcaption></figure></li></ul><a class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white" role="button"></a><a class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white" role="button"></a><a aria-label="Pause Slideshow" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause" role="button"></a><div class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white"></div></div></div>
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<p>With warm weather, melting snow, and rain possible, efforts are underway to prevent a repeat of an incident last September that buried a St. Croix River creek in sand.</p>
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<p>The solar energy company that manages the Scandia site owned by James Zavoral has put heavy equipment operators to work this week. They are excavating retention ponds to increase holding, and have built a higher wall at the spot where stormwater escaped the site and rushed down the bluff and the creek last fall.</p>
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<p>After a 4-inch rainfall on Sept. 20 last year, Middle Creek, a spring-fed stream below the site, was  <a href="https://www.stcroix360.com/2018/09/scandia-gravel-pit-overflows-buries-st-croix-valley-spring-creek/">inundated in sand and sediment</a>. The bluff and a wetland at its base were also damaged.</p>
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<p>The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says its <a href="https://www.stcroix360.com/2018/11/gravel-pit-overflow-work-underway-to-reduce-risk-details-of-damage-emerge/">investigation of the incident</a> is ongoing and therefore it can't provide comment at this time.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

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<p>Numerous questions remain, including why the retention basins were not scraped before the solar farm was built, as was required in the permit.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

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<p>Wendy Green of BHE Renewables, the company which owns the solar energy system, <a href="https://www.stcroix360.com/2019/02/repairs-continue-at-scandia-solar-farm-after-stormwater-spill/">told the Scandia City Council in February</a> that the changes would be able to contain back-to-back 100- year flood events.</p>
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