Bixby Park Water Quality Project

This project restored a ditched wetland that receives stormwater runoff from the City of Forest Lake and treats water before flowing into the Sunrise River and ultimately Comfort Lake. The project reconnects the wetland with its natural floodplain, resulting in slower moving water and reduction of phosphorus and sediment.

The District partnered with the City of Forest Lake to implement this project, as the City owns the property on which the wetland is located. This project resulted from a petition from Chisago County and the Sunrise River Water Quality and Flowage Study.

Downstream of the project, the Sunrise River flows through a wetland complex before flowing into Comfort Lake. This wetland complex results in additional phosphorus and sediment removal, which is why the load reduction for the Sunrise River and Comfort Lake are different.