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La Crosse stormwater quarterly update: city short of permit TSS goal, outreach ramps up
Summary
City stormwater staff told the Board of Public Works the municipal MS4 program is meeting many permit requirements but is at about 17% TSS reduction versus a 20% target; staff highlighted BMP inspections, outreach programs and incentives for property owners to install rain barrels and rain gardens.
Claire, the city’s stormwater coordinator, presented La Crosse’s first-ever stormwater quarterly update to the Board of Public Works on Jan. 12, saying the city is implementing follow-up from a December 2024 DNR audit while expanding public outreach and green infrastructure.
The presentation said staff inspected 391 best-management practices (BMPs) in 2025 and identified 39 that required maintenance. Claire told the board the city recorded eight confirmed illicit discharges last year that were followed up, and approved eight construction projects that included new BMPs. She said the city’s permit target is a 20% reduction in total suspended solids (TSS) but that the program currently is achieving about 17%. “That just under 3% doesn’t sound like a huge amount, but in terms of the tonnage it really is,” she said.
The update summarized MS4 permit elements the city must manage, including public education and outreach, illicit-discharge detection and elimination, construction-site pollution control, post-construction stormwater management and stormwater-quality management tied to the TSS requirement. Claire said the stormwater quality management plan is being consolidated into a single document and that the city is updating its utility map and permit-related site documents for four municipal facilities: the wastewater treatment plant, the airport, the municipal service center and the water-utility garage near Myrick.
Claire outlined homeowner and business options to help the city meet TSS goals. Residential options include installing rain barrels (the credit program references four barrels, one at each corner of a house, for a full residential credit) and building qualifying rain gardens sized to property runoff; businesses may apply under a separate path. The city has guidance materials posted on the Utilities → Stormwater section of the municipal website, she said.
Claire also described seasonal outreach programs run in partnership with La Crosse Area Waters and Parks & Rec — SaltSmart (winter), Grow Green (spring), rain-barrel workshops (summer) and LeafIt (fall) — and highlighted the Renew the Block project at Logan Middle School as a school-based BMP and outreach success.
In board discussion, council and directors sought examples of illicit discharges and private-property BMP responsibilities. Claire described a recent accidental paint spill cleaned by sewer crews and recounted a past restaurant grease-trap failure that required excavation and repairs. She said the city tracks about 700 BMPs across La Crosse, with just under half city-owned; city staff prioritize inspections of public BMPs and inspect private BMPs on a rotating basis (state rules require at least a five-year cadence).
Council members asked about Grow Green registration and enforcement. Claire said registration is optional but helpful for tracking participants; City inspector Dave Reinhart said the city’s 8-inch grass-height requirement remains in effect and that a high-height waiver had applied only during the earlier No Mow May pilot.
Why it matters: stormwater controls affect water quality entering the Mississippi River and the operational compliance of La Crosse’s MS4 permit. The update identifies a near-term compliance gap on TSS and several practical homeowner- and developer-focused responses the city plans to scale.
Next steps: staff said they will include follow-up audit materials in the 2025 MS4 annual report and continue outreach and program refinement to close the TSS gap.
