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Stormwater or melt water runs over impervious surfaces and collects pollutants. This is the reason for green infrastructure at Riverside Park. Flooding can be caused by runoff. Stormwater runoff can collect on impervious services, soak into the ground, or run straight from storm drains into the Au Gres River, then eventually into Lake Huron.

Au Gres-Sims School Rain Garden

Our Rain Garden:

Our rain garden is a type of green infrastructure. It's also a great way to help our community, and protect our natural areas, including Lake Huron, and the Saginaw Bay Watershed.

"Who Pioneered This Project?"

2018-2019 Environmental Science class

Au Gres-Sims High School

Creating a Rain Garden

A Rain Garden is a cost efficient way to remove the pollutants in runoff. The garden receives water from impervious (hard) surfaces such as rooftops, sidewalks, driveways and patios. The shallow depression of the garden holds the water so it can slowly infiltrate back into the soil as the plants, mulch, and soil naturally remove pollutants from the runoff.

Au Gres-Sims School Rain Garden in bloom

Au Gres-Sims School Rain Garden early Spring

Rain Garden Zones

A rain garden has three zones: base, slope, buffer. Plants are specifically chosen for a particular zone based on the plant's ability to tolerate certain amounts of water during a runoff event. Plants in the base zone can tolerate large amounts of water, as the sloping sides of the rain garden direct water toward the center of the garden. Plants in the buffer zone can tolerate smaller amounts of water, and need to drain water quickly. Plants in the slope zone can tolerate more water than the buffer plants, but not as much as the base plants.

Buffer Plants

Foxglove Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis

Native to Michigan
4 to 11 inches in height
Lots of same but different looking species
The seeds feed deer and other animals.
Purple when it blooms and they bloom in late spring

Spice BushLindera benzoin

Native to Michigan
It is a yellow color
They typically grow 24 inches or more in one season
Typically grow 9-11 feet tall in six years
They bloom in early spring

Slope Plants

Joe-Pye Weed Eutrochium purpureum

Native to Michigan
3 to 12 feet tall
Pink/purple color
Blooms in midsummer through fall
It needs full sun to partial sun

Columbine Flower Aquilegia

Native to Michigan
Height 15 to 20 inches
Blooming season Mid spring to early summer
Shade has no harmful effect
Different colors

Snowberry

Symphoricarpos

Native to Michigan
The snowberry height goes to 3 to 4.5 in.
Full of sun or partial shade.
Can be white, greenish-white, or pink
Blooms from May to September

Base Plants

Blue Flag Iris

Iris versicolor

Native to Michigan
2-3 feet tall
Needs full sunlight
Bloom time-May, June, July
Violet blue color

Great Blue Lobelia

Lobelia siphilitica

Native to Michigan
Can grow up to 1-4 feet tall
it requires full to partial sun
Blooms in Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Blue color

Choosing Potential Sites

The first step we took in building our rain garden, was surveying the land for potential sites. We looked for native species, impervious surfaces to provide runoff and a natural slope. It is also good to make sure that you choose a spot where the garden will be visible to the community, and capable of thriving.

Testing the Soil

An important factor in building a rain garden is the soil. The garden cannot thrive without healthy soil. We tested our soil by taking a small amount of soil and 2 teaspoons of water and preforming a "clump test". We classified our soil as sandy loam by using a flow chart.

Determining the Slope

To make sure that your rain garden will receive runoff you first must make sure that you measure the slope. The first step is placing a meter stick in the ground and placing another meter stick 10 feet away from it and tying a rope on both. On one of the sticks you have to place the rope t the bottom and the other sticks rope has to be on top.

Developing an Action Plan

We developed a plan of action and reached out to businesses for financial support. We created a budget spreadsheet to organize our wants/needs along with a maintenance plan. We also contacted media outlets to share our project with our community. Our main goal was to get as many people involved as possible. We reached out to a variety of business to raise money for our project; we even created a Go Fund Me.

Following a Blueprint

When we made the blueprints for the rain garden, we had to scale it up to size so that we could map it out. We had one student as the project foreman take charge and direct the others to where the perimeter outline was supposed to go. Our site for the rain garden was 300 square feet so our rain garden is not small.

Perimeter mapping

We took our blue prints, wooden stakes, string, and a tape measure outside to our rain garden site. We measured our rain garden design out and marked it with string. We decided to make a couple area adjustments to our final design in the process. We like to remember that there is always room for improvement.

Student Voice

Overall this project was a great learning experience for our students at Au Gres-Sims High School. "I am so happy to be able to get out of the classroom and apply what I've learned," says one student. Not only were the students learning in a nontraditional way but the classroom also extended into the great outdoors. One student says, "The responsibility and trust we were given on this project exceeded my expectations." Students in our class were excited to learn that this wasn't a project in which the teacher took on most of the responsibility. From site selection, soil testing, design, site preparation, to final installation, the students of the 2018-2019 environmental science class pioneered a project that will be a statement piece on campus for years to come. This project was overall, as one student put it, "A combination of learning skills and application of those skills, including geometry, landscape design, budgeting, conflict resolution, the democratic process, gardening, fundraising, and career exploration." It is a creative way to help the environment and a great form of environmental stewardship for schools or interest groups who would like to mitigate the effects of stormwater runoff into our waterways."

Riverside Park Bioswale

What is a bioswale?

A bioswale is another form of green infrastructure. It is a surface designed to concentrate and convey stormwater runoff, while taking away debris and pollution. You might've heard of something similar to this called a rain garden, it has the same purpose, this infrastructure (Bioswale) is just greater in size.

Bioswale after installation

The bioswale is across from the Au Gres River

BEFORE INSTALLATION

AFTER INSTALLATION

Community Involvement in Planning Riverside Park Features

Winningflyer.pdf

Arenac 1-41.pdf

Community Volunteers and Students Installed Riverside Park Bioswale

Where is Riverside Park?

44.047533,-83.688038

Why Au Gres?

A Bio-swale is installed at Riverside Park for a few reasons. The Au Gres River runs right next to this park. Anything that enters the river, including stormwater runoff, is being carried by currents into Lake Huron. Someone needs to do something about keeping pollutants from entering our waterways, and this is our plan of action.

You can learn more about the Riverside Park Bioswale and planned developments for the Park at: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1NBX1WnKA5W_54VYnbKjm0s5fElbMelfxDbPVj-vvkGE/edit#slide=id.p

Stormwater or melt water runs over impervious surfaces and collects pollutants. This is the reason for green infrastructure at Riverside Park. Flooding can be caused by runoff. It collects on impervious services (the image to the left), soaks into the ground, or runs straight from storm drains and into the Au Gres River, then eventually into Lake Huron.

Project Partners

Green infrastructure reference material

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The Botanic Garden of TexasExplore Texas native plants in our sustainable gardens and arboretum and through our educational programs. Also home to the Native Plants of North America.

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