Join us for a field trip to the Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory (SAFL), a globally recognized research hub for fluid mechanics, hydrology, and earth-surface dynamics housed in a nearly 60,000-square-foot facility. Tours will cover stormwater innovations, climate change research, and water quality work conducted at the lab, and will include both indoor and outdoor research facilities (weather permitting). Following the tour, attendees will enjoy a delivered lunch at Father Hennepin Bluff Park, a short five-minute walk from the lab.

The afternoon will continue at the Water Works building. Water Works at Mill Ruins Park is in the Saint Anthony Falls Historic District in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Formerly an abandoned 2.5-acre site along the Mississippi River, in 2021 the site was transformed into a public space with views of the river, a new park pavilion and green space, an outdoor dining and event lawn, a playground for the community, and an indoor restaurant built from within the old mill ruins.

The site includes traditional stormwater BMPs, as well as a stormwater reuse system to capture and store stormwater runoff used for irrigation and toilet flushing.  This system was the first of its kind in Minneapolis.  The project focused on sustainability, cultural connection of the Dakota people, and commemorating Minneapolis’ historic Mill District.

 We will tour the site and the building, providing information on the design of the overall stormwater system, as well as the process it took to go from feasibility to construction.

Attendees should dress wisely. SAFL is an active fluid mechanics lab; you may get dusty, wet, or muddy. Closed-toed shoes are required. Bring a hat, sunglasses, and/or sunscreen as the tour includes outdoor facilities.