Community Rain Garden Old Village Hall in Solon Springs

Rain Garden Story Joanne Zosel's 9th grade classes have been looking after Park Creek for more than a decade. On May 15th a Park Creek public “open house” was organized to high-light the importance of Park Creek and Lucius Woods Park to our community. During the open house, a discussion about the merit of a rain garden behind Old Village Hall to help reduce storm water run-off and accompanying erosion along the pedestrian path was initiated by the hosting groups. In June, Joanne Zosel took the initiative to find funding for the rain garden and to expand the list of participating partners. This idea fit in nicely with an existing plan by several Douglas County departments to upgrade the pedestrian path during the late summer and fall time period. In July, the central core of the rain garden was constructed.

Later this year, the community rain garden will be expanded and integrated into the pedestrian path renovation project. The primary purpose of the rain garden is to capture storm water run-off and snow melt from the Old Village Hall roof and parking lot. Rain Garden Benefits This rain garden will help protect the pedestrian path from erosion, it will help beautify the Old Village Hall building, and it will benefit the trout in Park Creek by helping to prevent road de-icing salt from entering the stream along the pedestrian path.

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Rain Garden Plant List (selected by Paul Hlina) • Bergamot (Bee balm) – Monarda fistulosa • Butterfly weed – Asclepias tuberosa • Caterpillar Sedge – Carex crinita • Joe Pye Weed – Eutrichium maculata • Marsh Aster – Aster lanceolatus • Marsh Blazing Star – Liatris spicata • Marsh Marigold – Caltha palustris • Showy Goldenrod – Solidago speciosa • Steeplebush – Spirea tomentosa • Swamp Milkweed – Asclepias incarnata • Upland White Aster – Aster ptarmicoides • Wool grass –- Scirpus cyperinus

Community Rain Garden Project Partners

• Solon Springs School • Village of Solon Springs • Town of Solon Springs • Upper St. Croix Lake Association • Friends of the St. Croix Headwaters • Leaning Pine Native Landscapes (Paul Hlina) • Solon Springs Mercantile • The Garden House • Douglas County Land & Water Conservation Department • Douglas County Forestry Department • Douglas County Environmental Reserve Fund • Murphy Oil Corporation

Rain Garden Information

Rain Gardens: A How-to Manual for Home Owners. http://dnr.wi.gov/runoff/pdf/rg/rgmanual.pdf

Gardens for a Rainy Day http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/volunteer/mayjun04/raingardens.html

Wisconsin Native Plants for Rain Gardens http://dnr.wi.gov/runoff/pdf/rg/RaingardenPlantList.pdf