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.

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.

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