Scouts will be among those helping maintain Gaylord’s rain gardens
November 20th, 2008Gaylord Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are among those who will help maintain Gaylord’s three rain gardens.
As part of the 2007 street and utility improvement project, rain gardens were established in the park. A rain garden is a planted depression designed to absorb rainwater runoff. Rain routed to these gardens is filtered naturally through plants removing nutrients and pollutants.
Nearly 100 volunteers helped plant the rain gardens this past summer. Now the task is watering and weeding the gardens. According to City Administrator Kevin McCann, the first few years of a rain garden are its most vulnerable years. Once established, the gardens are relatively maintenance free, McCann explained.
Gaylord’s Park Board proposed contracting with the boy scouts, girl scouts, pool staff, Paulette Nitz and Dianne Uecker to help maintain the gardens during the first few years. The maintenance would be done for a total of $2,400.
Council members approved the park board’s proposal earlier this month. Funds for maintaining the rain gardens will come out of the storm water budget, according to McCann. He reported that $15,000 was budgeted for rain garden this year and approximately $12,000 has been spent.
