Supporting responsible stormwater management in the Lake Superior basin
The coastal training program works with regional partners to sponsor and co-develop workshops that focus on promotion of clean water management practices for a variety of professionals. The Reserve works with the City of Superior to host a Stormwater Training for Contractors, boosting awareness not only of regulatory requirements but also an understanding of the environmental factors and changing climatic conditions that necessitate responsible stormwater management practice.
Membership in the area’s Regional Stormwater Protection Team means that the Coastal Training Program stays connected to the pressing issues facing municipal separate storm sewer communities in the area. A growing challenge is reducing the amount of road salt applied to streets and parking lots during icy winter months, a practice that can impact the chemistry and ecosystem function of critical waterbodies and habitats when excess salt drains into streams and waterways. In fall 2019, the Coastal Training Program sponsored a professional training event in the Twin Ports, led by Fortin Consulting, designed to help property managers work with their maintenance crews to reduce their salt usage and costs on parking lots and paved surfaces that they manage while still maintaining a safe and accessible property.
For more information on the environmental impact of road salt, please visit Lake Superior Streams.
