Engineering and Public Works 2025 Annual Report

NEW INITIATIVES AND TECHNOLOGY

ADOPT-A-DRAIN PROGRAM

In 2025, the City joined the Adopt-a-Drain Program, which was developed in 2014 in the City of Saint Paul with the Hamline University Center for Global Environmental Education and the Capitol Region Watershed District. This volunteer program is a Minnesota-based campaign to help prevent pollution from entering local waterbodies via storm drains. More than 70 cities in Minnesota already participate in the program, as well as countless others nationwide. Contrary to popular belief, the water that flows down the storm drains is not always treated before being released into the natural environment. Grease, pet waste, trash, grass clippings, and dirt are common pollutants that cause issues to waterbodies downstream when they are washed down the storm drain.

Even small amounts of grass clippings, pet waste, fertilizer, and leaf litter can release phosphorous and cause harmful algal blooms to grow. Large algae mats, as well as built-up debris in the sediment of waterways, prevents oxygen flow to native plants, negatively impacting the entire ecosystem. Routine drain cleanings can have a dramatic impact on reducing ecological stress, especially when many community members join in! Stormwater in the City of Shakopee flows to the Minnesota River. On the journey, stormwater passes through ponds, wetlands, lakes, and streams. Local waterbodies that receive Shakopee’s stormwater are Deans Lake, Eagle Creek, and Lake O’Dowd. These are special ecosystems deserving of protection from pollution. The process of adopting a drain is simple: visit Adopt-A-Drain.org , pick your drain, give it a fun name, clean your drain when needed, and record how much debris you pick up.

Engineering Intern Ella Lysne sits next to a recently cleaned storm drain where the City has painted the reminder "dump no waste."

Deans Lake is just one local body of water that receives Shakopee's stormwater.

ASTORIA DRIVE DEMONSTRATION PROJECT

In response to an uptick in traffic safety concerns from the public, the City implemented a temporary traffic calming demonstration project on Astoria Drive between Zumbro Avenue and Marystown Road. This recommendation was made based on a review and discussion by the City's Traffic Safety Committee. This committee is made up of staff from Engineering, Public Works, and Police Departments and meets quarterly to review city wide traffic safety issues. If you have any concerns that you'd like reviewed and discussed by the Committee, email the Engineering Department (Engineering@ShakopeeMN.gov ). The goal of the project was to provide driver awareness of the horizontal curvature of the roadway, reduce vehicle speeds, and increase safety within the neighborhood. The Public Works Department implemented the temporary improvements, which consisted of roadway delineators, reducing the roadway width, and enhancing driver visibility of the roadway.

The Engineering Department collected vehicle speed data during the temporary deployment and collected video evidence to further evaluate driver behavior. Over the winter, the City’s Traffic Safety Committee will review the data and make a recommendation in 2026 for permanent solutions to address the traffic safety concerns.

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