City outlines storm water resilience project near Minnesota State University Moorhead

The city released an informational presentation describing a storm water resilience construction project planned to begin in May 2026 near Minnesota State University Moorhead. The presenter said the work is the first phase of a larger, phased plan to reduce flooding risk to private and public structures, transportation and sewer infrastructure.

"This project is the first phase of several projects to enhance community resilience to intense rain events by reducing the risk of flooding and damage to private and public structures, transportation systems, emergency services, sanitary sewer infrastructure, other critical infrastructure, and community spaces," the presenter said.

City engineers told viewers the storm sewer system in the area was installed between 1955 and 1969 and that existing pipe diameters range from 12 to 24 inches. A hydraulic model evaluated an event of approximately 4 inches of rain in 24 hours — described in the presentation as roughly a 1-in-10 annual chance — and showed that the plan would reduce flooding in many places but would not eliminate all street flooding.

"As shown, not all flooding will be eliminated with the project, but the blue shaded areas are generally confined to the street," the presenter said, adding that the model was field-verified during a rain event. The presentation explained that eliminating all flooding would require impractically large and costly storm sewer upgrades, so the design balances cost with the acceptability of some temporary street flooding.

The construction scope includes replacing existing storm sewer pipes with larger diameters, removing and replacing pavement, and replacing some sanitary and water services under the pavement. The project also calls for removing and replacing curb, gutter and driveway aprons. An existing parking lot will be converted into a dry storm water pond to retain runoff during and shortly after rain events.

"The city has partnered with Minnesota State University Moorhead to select this location for the pond and will work jointly to identify opportunities to make this pond an aesthetic and educational opportunity," the presenter said.

The presentation gives an anticipated start of May 2026 and a final completion date of June 2027, but states the schedule depends on the contractor's timeline and weather; most work is expected to be completed within the same year. Work will be phased to minimize neighborhood traffic disruption.

Residents are advised to place their name or address on garbage bins and put bins at the curb on their designated pickup day; the contractor will move bins to locations accessible to city garbage trucks. The presenter said sidewalks should generally remain open and that mail delivery should not be disrupted. Driveway access will be temporarily affected during pavement removal and utility work, but trenches will be backfilled at the end of each workday when possible. During curb and driveway concrete work, residents may need to use on-street parking until concrete attains sufficient strength.

Regarding funding, the presenter said, "The project is funded through a grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The grant will cover the full cost of construction. Special assessments will not be used to fund any portions of the project." The presentation directed viewers to the city's Streets and Transit construction projects page to subscribe for email updates and provided the project manager and the construction and infrastructure manager as contacts for general and driveway/sewer questions respectively.

Next steps: the city will proceed with contractor selection and scheduling; the presenter encouraged residents with mobility concerns or with sump pump or irrigation lines in boulevards to contact staff so those features can be noted during construction. The presentation closed with thanks for viewers' time.