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.

SIDE NOTE: Many thanks to everyone who has the spirit in keeping our lakes blue. Here at the Keep Okoboji Blue headquarters we would like to thank our friend David Thoreson, who helped kick start the LID site at the Arnolds Park Amusement Park in taking on the initiative to raise the moines needed to develop the parking lot to it's educational platform and outstanding water quality features. An attraction in itself!

Keep Okoboji Blue.com™ ~ Operated & Designed by Deidre Rosenboom ©2005