from the Sioux City Journal March 11, 2007
Lakes
developer, engineers cited for water quality
SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa -- They took the statewide lead studying and
promoting Low Impact Development techniques to enhance water quality, and now
builders and engineers in the Iowa Great Lakes are being recognized for
innovative storm water management in the field.
August "Auggie" Scheppmann, who has constructed residential subdivisions for 50
years, was recently honored at the 2007 Iowa Stormwater Conference in Altoona by
the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities for his outstanding performance
protecting and improving urban water quality.
Scheppmann was the guest of honor Thursday at the Iowa State University
Extension office in Spirit Lake where he and other award recipients addressed
the public. Steve Anderson, coordinator of the Dickinson County Clean Water
Alliance, thanked Scheppmann for his leadership in bringing LID techniques into
housing and industrial developments in the lakes area.
"Auggie has shown the bravery to view storm water not as waste but as a valuable
resource," Anderson said. "He has helped enhance water quality in our lakes with
innovative construction techniques."
Scheppmann incorporated LID principles in his last four development projects. At
the Spirit Lake Industrial Park, he built detention ponds to hold storm water
run-off and filter pollutants from rooftops and parking lots.
At his Silver Shores residential subdivision on Silver Lake near Lake Park,
Scheppmann diverted the project's entire drainage to restored wetlands,
protecting an already established wetland from storm water run-off. Similar
techniques were employed at a second Silver Lake residential development, West
Bay.
At his newest project, the Southern Glen housing subdivision on the southwest
edge of Spirit Lake, Scheppmann constructed narrowed streets with boulevards.
Storm water drains to rock infiltration trenches in the middle of the
boulevards, with overflow drains directed into rain gardens, which in turn
overflow to sediment basins and grassed waterways before entering a drainage
creek to East Lake Okoboji. The property has several drainage ways with rock
check dams to slow water and encourage infiltration.
"I just want to acknowledge all the people we've had an opportunity to work
with, including the city councils that have adopted LID practices into their
ordinances," Scheppmann said. "We've had to change the way we look at managing
storm water, and the changes are good."
Others lauded for water work
Also recognized this week were commissioners of the Dickinson County Soil and
Water Conservation District for their work in securing grant monies for the
series of seminars conducted in Dickinson County in 2004-05 by leading LID
practitioners from around the country. It was through these seminars city and
county government leaders, conservation groups and individuals, developers,
engineers and design professionals embraced LID practices.
The Dickinson SWCD was also cited for installing LID demonstration sites in
several lakes communities and for creating a local cost-share program for
retrofitting existing sites in ways that reduce the volume of storm water
run-off and protect water quality.
"We appreciate the community we live in and the people for being involved in new
ideas and concepts," said commission chairman Mark Ingwersen.
A pair of Dickinson County engineers was also honored. Brad Beck of Beck
Engineering of Spirit Lake was recognized for his collaboration with Matthew
Fair Jones of Fair Design, LLC of Minneapolis in the design and construction of
a water quality project at the Arnolds Park Amusement Park. Featuring
bio-retention cells, pervious concrete, modular paver blocks and
infiltration-based practices that intercept and treat run-off from the four-acre
parking lot, the project removes pollutant loads and reduces the volume of
run-off into West Lake Okoboji. An estimated 1 million visitors will tour the
site and learn about LID principles at an educational plaza on their way to the
park.
Jeff Rose of Jacobson-Westergard & Associates, Inc. of Spirit Lake and
Estherville was cited for his work with Arnolds Park officials on several LID
demonstration projects. Rose designed bio-retention basins at the city baseball
field and a new townhouse complex above Minnewashta Lake, a bio-retention cell
to mitigate run-off from a new condo development and a rain garden at the Spirit
Lake High School parking lot.