Category Archives: Environment

Bridges and Structures, Environment, research

CTS Webinar: Species from Feces—A New Tool to Identify Bats in Culverts and on Bridges

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Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 12:00–1:30 pm, Virtual

About the Webinar

Bats frequently use bridges and culverts as roosting habitat, creating challenges for transportation agencies working to balance infrastructure needs with environmental compliance. Traditional visual surveys can be limited, especially when bats are hidden within structures or present only intermittently. 

This webinar will highlight ongoing research exploring the use of DNA analysis from bat feces (guano) as a noninvasive method to identify bat species occupying culverts and bridges. Speaker Ron Moen will discuss how this approach works, share early findings from field applications, and explore how the results could support more efficient environmental review, project planning, and species protection efforts for transportation agencies.

It is being held in conjunction with a CTS Environment and Energy in Transportation Council meeting.

Speaker

Ron Moen is an associate professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Minnesota Duluth and a senior research associate with the Natural Resources Research Institute’s Center for Water and the Environment. His research focuses on mammalian ecology, including habitat use, movement patterns, and predator–prey interactions, often using GPS radiotelemetry. His current work includes studies on moose, Canada lynx, American marten, wood turtles, bats, and other wildlife, as well as projects related to climate change impacts and carnivore monitoring in the Upper Midwest.

Registration

This webinar is free, but registration is required. Once you have registered, you will receive an email confirmation with a Zoom link. The link should not be shared with others; it is unique to you.

Register

Follow the Research

Species From Feces: A New Tool to Identify Bats in Culverts and on Bridges

Environment, research

New Project: Engineering Post-Construction Soil Composition to Support Resilient Stormwater Management

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Post-construction soils can produce much higher stormwater runoff rates than pre-construction or typical vegetated soils. Poor soil conditions can hinder the establishment of vegetation and carry large volumes of runoff, sediment, and nutrient loads to local waters. Organic soil amendments (composts) may support post-construction vegetative growth by boosting soil structure, nutrient availability, and water holding capacity.

To receive email updates about this project, visit MnDOT’s Office of Research & Innovation to subscribe.

This research aims to define targeted pre-construction soil health baselines, determine optimized design and field implementation inputs that return soils to baseline health indices using organic amendments, and identify how these inputs can benefit transportation requirements and resilient stormwater treatment.

The results may facilitate the quantification of benefits provided through soil health restoration and the development of implementable guidance for roadside soil health restoration techniques.

“This research project will help us understand how implementing soil health practices can improve the performance of roadside vegetation establishment resulting in MnDOT being able to close out construction contracts and stormwater permits sooner,” said Warren Tuel, Natural Resources Program Coordinator with MnDOT’s Office of Environmental Stewardship. “There are also significant potential stormwater benefits of soil health practices including increased infiltration, improved treatment of pollutants present in highway stormwater runoff. The improved management of stormwater will result in improved water quality of runoff from MnDOT highway systems resulting in greater protection of the many water resources here in Minnesota.”

The objectives are:

  1. Evaluate resilience to water availability through organic amendment (e.g., compost) addition through greenhouse stormwater experiments
  2. Optimize amendment loadings based on resilience
  3. Develop a “recipe” for improving the health of poor soils based on soil health measurements, by amending the soil with compost or other organics

Project Details

  • Start Date: 05/16/2025
  • Estimated Completion Date: 06/30/2027
  • Funding: MnDOT
  • Principal Investigator: Bora Cetin
  • Co-Principal Investigators: Angela Farina
  • Technical Liaison: Warren Tuel

Details of the research study work plan and timeline are subject to change.

To receive email updates about this project, visit MnDOT’s Office of Research & Innovation to subscribe.

Environment

Identifying Factors That Affect Stormwater Basin Performance

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Stormwater basins are used to control runoff, prevent flooding and limit pollutants from reaching rivers, lakes and other large bodies of water. MnDOT monitors and maintains more than 400 infiltration and filtration basins statewide, and that number continues to grow. Identifying indicators of needed maintenance will increase management efficiency and basin performance. Field research at 28 basins identified basin age and silt content as two important factors to consider when planning inspections and taking corrective actions.

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Environment, Maintenance Operations, research

Beyond the border: Canadian studies consider permeable pavement, climate change impacts on deicing operations

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Reprinted from MnLTAP News, November 17, 2025

The 2025 Salt Symposium highlighted two studies from Canada, one comparing salt applications on permeable and asphalt surfaces and another considering the impact of climate change on municipal operations. Hosted by Bolton & Menk, the August 5 Salt Symposium brought together professionals from throughout the world to share research, projects, and approaches for chloride management.

Continue reading Beyond the border: Canadian studies consider permeable pavement, climate change impacts on deicing operations →
Environment

Developing Biochar Specifications for Stormwater Management 

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Effective stormwater management helps keep roadway contaminants from entering Minnesota’s lakes and streams. Management practices include soil and vegetation in roadside bioretention systems that filter heavy metals and hydrocarbons created by vehicles. Based on other studies, retention and transformation of roadside pollutants should be improved by biochar application to existing or engineered soils. Abundant sources of biomass can be used to produce biochar, a soil amendment with numerous benefits. MnDOT and local agencies identified biochar specifications for effective use in stormwater treatment to support the next phase of testing and development of biochar design guidance. 

Continue reading Developing Biochar Specifications for Stormwater Management  →
Environment

Detecting Endangered Turtles with Environmental DNA

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More than 60% of the world’s turtle species are endangered, including Blanding’s and wood turtles, which are native to Minnesota and may be found in the state’s wetlands, ponds, lakes and streams. To protect these vulnerable populations and their habitats, a cost-effective tool developed in this study will efficiently allow for the early detection of these turtles at transportation project sites. 

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Environment

Evaluation of Corrugated Pipes Manufactured with Recycled Materials

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MnDOT currently requires corrugated high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes to be made with 100% virgin materials. However, recent changes to federal standards allow for the use of corrugated HDPE pipes manufactured with more sustainable postconsumer and postindustrial recycled content. This project examined and compared the performance of both types of corrugated pipes to determine the suitability of using HDPE pipes manufactured with recycled materials in Minnesota.

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Environment

Utilizing Recycled Tires to Treat Stormwater

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Repurposing old tires as tire-derived aggregate (TDA) is a stormwater management practice that could retain phosphate in underground treatment systems and prevent it from reaching the soil, surface waters and groundwater. However, chemicals from the TDA may leach into the soil and water sources. This project identifies the environmental impacts and cost-effectiveness of deploying TDA to manage stormwater in Minnesota cities and counties.

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Environment

Modeling and Predicting the Deterioration of Pedestrian Assets

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Transportation agencies closely monitor and evaluate roads for needed repairs, but pedestrian infrastructure such as sidewalks receive less attention. When left in disrepair, this infrastructure is susceptible to deterioration and can have significant negative impacts on communities. This project collected and integrated pertinent data and developed a model that measured the deterioration of pedestrian assets to predict the effects of aging. With this additional information, agencies can better prioritize areas of need and allocate resources more effectively to maintain and repair pedestrian assets.

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