The fact that Broken Top is a private development doesn't mean someone
in the city didn't give the development overall permission to construct.
If so, it had to follow state/local drainage standards.

With respect to the issue of native plants, yes, they will eventually
help break up compacted soil, but ones planted in the proper mix with
compost and sand will certainly grow bigger and thrive longer. It does
take about three years for natives to really establish themselves. If
you decide to go that route, make sure you buy plugs or plants from a
nursery that specializes in natives; the native plants should be ones
from an area no more than about 50 miles away from you. Cultivars of
natives do not have the same benefits, even though they may be sold in
regular nurseries or discount stores. You will have better luck in
establishing plugs or 4" pot plants than you will in establishing seeds.
It is also possible to buy or rent a small rototiller at a hardware or
garden center and also on-line. The rototiller will do a bit to break
up the compacted soil The coolest version of this was a creation of
Dwayne Stenlund, a certified erosion control inspector here with our
Minnesota Department of Transportaton. It's basically a vehicle with a
rotating drum in front. On the outside of the drum are welded trowels
which dig up the compacted earth as it moves along.

Susanne P. Spitzer, AICP
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Municipal Division
520 Lafayette Rd. N.
St. Paul, MN 55155-4194
Tel: 651-296-7723
Fax: 651-297-2343 or 651-297-8683
susanne.spitzer@...

www.pca.state.mn.us - Working with Minnesotans to protect
conserve and improve our environment and enhance our quality of life.

"Use what talents you possess; The woods would be very silent if no
birds sang there except those that sang best." - - William Blake





-----Original Message-----
From: stormwaterpro@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:stormwaterpro@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of kalibailey11
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2008 4:01 PM
To: stormwaterpro@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [StormwaterPro] City said that it's not their problem


Here is what the city said about the water problems around our house:

"I was out in your area on other business yesterday and looked at the
drainage problems
you mentioned.

All of the Broken Top development is private streets and drainage so
there is little the City
can do to help alleviate the drainage problems.

The entire area is in what we call a problem drainage area. The soils
and geology are not
conducive to infiltration. You have probably heard or read about the
drainage problems at
Summit High School. We have had several reports of wet crawl spaces in
Broken Top. Prior
to development, the soils were loose and able to retain stormwater.
With development,
the soils were compacted or removed and a lot of impervious roofs and
pavement meant
that there was less and less soil available to absorb the water. Water
applied to the golf
courses (or other turf, for that matter)keeps the golf course soils wet
and reduces their
ability to absorb rainwater. In January and February, the soils of
Central Oregon froze to a
depth of several inches. It has taken quite a while for the soil to
thaw. Frozen soil has no
infiltration capacity at all and this surely added to the problem as the
snow began to melt.

I wish I could offer some suggestions but it is a difficult problem."

Ok, so what's the next step?
Thanks,
Kali


------------------------------------

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