A Stormwater Research Dream Comes True

The Cold Climate Stormwater Center of Excellence

UPDATES: December 2025 | Volume 20, Issue 4

Written by Bridget Mendel; Contributed by Andy Erickson & John Gulliver

Scientists at the University of Minnesota’s (U of M’s) Saint Anthony Falls Lab (SAFL) have been researching stormwater for over two decades, studying and designing mitigation strategies to reduce the phosphorus and chloride that get into our urban lakes and rivers, and working on flooding issues in the face of increasingly erratic and extreme weather. Alongside stormwater research, SAFL prioritizes knowledge transfer to the people who can best use it: stormwater professionals. Since 2019, SAFL, with support from the Minnesota Stormwater Research Council, The U of M's Water Resources Center, and the Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment, has run the Minnesota Stormwater Seminar Series, where Minnesota practitioners can jump on zoom or zip over to SAFL and hear from top national and international experts in green infrastructure and stormwater management. This is unique in the academic world: oftentimes, academic conferences are expensive and require interstate travel, and are geared towards other academics. SAFL’s stormwater seminar utilizes formal keynote presentations, panel discussions, and well-stocked snack breaks to allow for what co-founder Andy Erickson calls “creating relationships and relatable connections.”

Recently, SAFL and their U of MN collaborators (Water Resources Center, BBE) received a huge boost in support for this vital work by way of federal funding for a Cold Climate Stormwater Center of Excellence (CCSCoE). This center, which is co-directed by Dr. Andy Erickson (U of M SAFL) and Dr. Jamie Houle (University of New Hampshire), and in partnership with Dr. Seth Brown (National Municipal Stormwater Alliance), is one of four that will be formed across the nation, a recognition firstly that this work is vital to our communities and economies and secondly that stormwater management strategies depend on the place, its geology, built infrastructure, and weather. 

The opportunities that these newly funded centers present are immense. SAFL’s stormwater research and engagement will expand well beyond Minnesota to meet the needs of other cold climate states, from Washington to Maine and into Canada. Funding to engage with communities living in cold climates and facing stormwater challenges will be available, and educational opportunities for students, the next generation of practitioners and researchers, will be increased.

The CCSCoE is a direct partnership with the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and The National Municipal Stormwater Alliance (NMSA).  Prior to the funding for this center, U of MN stormwater research partnerships were primarily Minnesota-based. This new partnership will reach stormwater practitioners nationwide, hear their challenges and barriers, and develop research to break through those barriers and find solutions.