Bigfork schools' stormwater system a 'success'

The new stormwater system, installed this summer at Bigfork's schools, has proven itself in the fall's wet weather, according to Superintendent Russ Kinzer.

"Absolutely it's a success," Kinzer said. "We've reached our goal of capturing and infiltrating into the soil all of the drain water that comes off the parking lot and roof tops."

After rains and the recent snowfall, Kinzer monitored the new system and found that little water was even reaching the main stormwater system.

"It definitely will if we have a real gullywasher," Kinzer said.

The goal of the system was to divert 85 to 95 percent of the runoff from the property into the ground, but with his observations, Kinzer said he thinks the percentage will be even higher.

The drywells for the parking lot and an additional one by the kindergarten playground seem to be catching much of the runoff. None of the water has been leaving the campus, Kinzer said, except a little surface water.

"We have a lot of roof space and a lot of parking lot space and nothing," Kinzer said.

48 North Civil Engineering Services, the company that did the project for the school, recently completed a stormwater plan, mapping the school's system. The system is built to withstand up to a 10-year storm.

And the school did it all for about $200,000, significantly less than the $1.5 million projected in preliminary engineering.

This could mean that the stormwater system for further down Grand Avenue, one of the projects the Bigfork Stormwater Advisory Committee is looking at, should be able to be lot smaller, since it won't have to handle as much from the school grounds.

The system at Bigfork schools installed this summer consists of enormous plastic culverts buried underground on a bed of gravel that will collect stormwater runoff from around the property and store it so it can drain back into the ground gradually. Two additional drywells were placed by the auto shop.

A smaller, version of the system was installed under the elementary school playground on the other side of the property the previous fall.

An additional drywell was installed by the kindergarten playground this year.

The school had stood out as a particularly bad spot for runoff, with any decent-sized rainstorm sending water down Grand Avenue, picking up motor oil or worse before making it either into the Bigfork sewer system — where it takes up valuable capacity in the water treatment plant — or straight into Bigfork Bay.

BSAC is waiting for preliminary engineering for Bigfork Stormwater Project, which aims to update the Village's infrastructure to prevent property flooding and discharge into Flathead Lake.

This initial aspect of the project focuses on some of the more problematic areas, including Grand Drive, River Street, Bridge Street North and Bridge Street South.

The committee will meet with engineers from 48 North on Dec. 16 to discuss the findings prior to the publishing of a report Dec. 22. The report will evaluate the area, problems and possible solutions. It will give an analysis and recommendations of a range of possible systems and cost estimates.

BSAC and Flathead County will use this information to make decisions on the project.

BSAC is scheduled to give a presentation on its progress to the Flathead County Commissioners at 11:15 a.m. Dec. 9 in the Earl Bennett Building in Kalispell.