History
The Serpent Creek box culvert, originally built in 1943 by the Minnesota Department of Highways and the Village of Crosby, helps control water levels in Serpent Lake. It includes a concrete box culvert and a stop log structure that acts like a small dam. This system was created to manage high water levels in the lake caused by a blocked outlet.
The City of Crosby owns and operates this structure, which plays an important role in regulating the lake’s water flow into Serpent Creek. However, the system is aging and no longer meets today’s standards for water flow, stormwater management and long-term stability.
Future system
This project will replace the old outlet with a new, more reliable system that improves water quality and protects nearby infrastructure. The new system will include two mechanisms to improve water filteration and flow:
- A baffle inside a standard sump structure to capture and retain sediment to filter water
- A headwall cover rack that covers the inlet box and prevents medium to large debris from entering the creek