Getting Closer to Meeting Our Grant Match!

Several weeks ago the final required report was sent to Indiana American Water for the environmental grant. In the report, we asked for an extension on the remainder of the funds that have not been spent.

When this grant was paid in advance, they gave us $9,000 of the $10,000 grant, with the requirement that the remainder would not be paid until the grant report was submitted and they were satisfied with our report. Well, lo and behold, yesterday we received a nice letter from Indiana American Water congratulating us on our progress thus far and giving us the remaining $1,000!

With this $1,000, we have approximately $3,802.77 left of the Indiana Amercian Water grant. We are setting aside $500 for potential future rain garden needs, allowing the remainder to be used as match on the Long Lake Marsh Restoration project (LLMRP).

This development brings our total match to date on the LLMRP to $9,901.88! And, as soon as the Fire Department conducts their burn, we can use the value of their equipment and their time as in-kind match, totaling $6,265 according to Eric Kurtz’ estimates from a year ago when we prepared our grant application. If so, that would bring our total match to $16,166.88, exceeding our required match of $15,700!!!! Most importantly, that would mean that NONE of this project will have to be conducted using taxpayer dollars. The other $15,700 will be reimbursed by the federal government.

Grant Match

Good news! We have been given permission from the Lake Michigan Coastal Program to utilize our "Every Drop Counts" brochure design, printing and mailing as match on the Lake Michigan Coastal Program Grant for Long Lake Marsh! That brings us $3,099.11 closer to meeting our match of $15,700. To date we have matched $6,599.11 of our grant; and we will have more match as soon as the Ogden Dunes Volunteer Fire Department burns the marsh. That's because we will be able to count the firefighters' time as match AND, more importantly, we can use the value of their equipment as in-kind match. So far, no tax dollars have been spent on this restoration project!

By the way, the "Every Drop Counts" brochure was made possible with a grant from the Indiana American Water Company. Thanks!

Also, before we forget...thanks to the Ogden Dunes Volunteer Fire Department for allowing Susan MiHalo to give a briefing and Powerpoint Presentation on the Long Lake Marsh Restoration Project on November 15. If any other groups are interested in seeing this presentation, please let her know.

Rain Garden

Top Right: Stormwater problems occurred prior to construction.

Charlie Costanza building the retaining wall.

Karl Krizmanic volunteers to lay pipe.

Roger Bulla and Jim Petsas laying rainwater pipeline.

Linda Bulla and Susan MiHalo planting.

Susan MiHalo adding plant staples to the plants to keep them from heaving up in cold weather.

Nearly finished!

We recently completed a Demonstration Rain Garden in Ogden Dunes!

Rain Garden Benefits:
This garden, planted primarily with perennial native plants, protects water quality in Long Lake Marsh while adding beauty to the the street and yard of the Bulla residence.

Also known as a Stormwater Best Management Practice, this sustainable garden:
**Reduces the ponding of water on the streets and increases public safety.
**Diverts roof rain water to a more productive use.
**Requires little additional watering.
**Traps sediment and other pollutants found in stormwater run off.
**Provides a habitat that is good for butterflies,song birds and other animals.

It’s estimated that this garden will drain more than 6,150 gallons of water a year – enough to fill a tanker truck!

Rain Garden Features:
The garden includes the following elements:

The Rain Garden, which is nearly 200 square feet in size, was created by digging into the slope so that the down-slope area of the garden is the same level as the up-slope area of the garden.

Water is piped from two downspouts on the west side of the home.

Yard basins were placed at the top end of the pipes for easy clean out of leaves and debris. The pipe ends in the center of the retaining wall and is split and baffled to keep the water from eroding the soil in the garden.

The berm was placed at the down-slope area of the garden to prevent soil and water from washing out. Prickly Pear Cactus was planted on the berm to add interest. Mulch was added to the garden and the berm to protect the plants and prevent erosion.

Closer to the street, the area was graded down at a slight angle and filled with gravel to allow water to permeate more effectively from the street. Prior to that, the area was filled with hard-packed soil and grass that was allowing stormwater to flood into the street and overtax the storm drain to the west (SEE PHOTO ABOVE).

Native Plants Help Absorb Rainwater and Pollutants
The following plants, primarily native species, were planted in the garden, which should look much better next summer once the plants get established.
Black Eyed Susan: http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=ruhi2_002_ahp.tif
Boltonia Asteroides: http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=boas_002_ahp.tif
Compass Plant: http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=sila3_002_avp.tif
Coreopsis: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=COLA5&photoID=cola5_004_avp.tif
Goldenrod: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=SOLID&photoID=solid_003_avp.tif
Liatris: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LIATR
Little Bluestem grass: http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=scsc_003_ahp.tif
Miscanthus: http://www.tredyffrin.org/images/general/Miscanthus.jpg
National Arboretum Fountain Grass: http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=penni_001_avp.tif (planted to the side of the garden)
New England Asters: http://plants.usda.gov/gallery/pubs/asno_002_php.jpg
Prairie Dropseed: http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=sphe_004_avp.jpg
Prairie Ironweed: http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=vefa2_001_avd.tif Prickly Pear Cactus (on the berm): http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=ophu_009_avp.tif
Purple Cone Flowers: http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=echin_001_ahp.tif
Redosier Dogwood: http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=cose16_005_ahp.tif
Salvia Verticillata: http://www.quansettnurseries.com/salvia%20purple%20rain.jpg
Surprise Lilies: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hort.wisc.edu/mastergardener/Features/flowers/lycoris/naked1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.hort.wisc.edu/mastergardener/Features/flowers/lycoris/lycoris.htm&h=200&w=250&sz=51&hl=en&start=4&tbnid=3RA9Zu41vtyxnM:&tbnh=89&tbnw=111&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSurprise%2BLilies%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den
Wild Bergamot: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=MOFI&photoID=mofi_1v.jpg

More plants, such as Wild White Indigo (http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=bale2_002_avp.tif) and Butterfly Milkweed (http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=astut_001_ahp.tif) may be planted in the spring.

We will use the seeds from this garden to help propagate plants around Long Lake Marsh next year.

What can you do in your yard?
It is hoped that this project will inspire you to think about how stormwater can be utilized in your yard.

Rain gardens should be at least 10’ from your downspout. The depth should be at least 4-8” deep and can be anywhere from 75-300 square feet in size.

Native plants are used primarily because they are very efficient at absorbing water and require no additional fertilizer or pesticides.
Rain gardens should never be placed near septic systems.

It may be tempting to place your garden in an area of your yard that already ponds. This is not beneficial because you want the water to infiltrate after four hours rather becoming stagnant.

Installation costs for rain gardens vary, depending on how much work you want to do yourself. Labor and maintenance, however, should be lower than lawn maintenance once the plants mature. The most cost effective way to utilize rainwater from your roof is to install rain barrels. Several Ogden Dunes residents have already installed rain barrels.

Please keep in mind that you need to check with the Town to determine if a permit is required for your project prior to construction. Town approval is especially important if your project will encroach on the Town easement, which is the case with this Rain Garden.

For more information on this project, please contact Susan MiHalo at spsmodin@verizon.net or the Environmental Advisory Board of Ogden Dunes.

The portion of the project on the Town Easement was funded by an Environmental Grant from the Indiana American Water Company.

Volunteers on the project included Susan MiHalo, Roger and Linda Bulla, Jim Petsas and Karl Krizmanic. The residential portion of the project was completed with the use of volunteer labor and donated materials.

The contractor for the garden, street area and retaining wall was Charlie Costanza.

Plants were purchased from JF New in Walkerton, IN or were obtained from the Bulla’s yard.

For more information on Rain Gardens, visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlScj9yN6Jw

http://clean-water.uwex.edu/pubs/pdf/home.rgmanual.pdf

We are moving closer on putting all the pieces together on our Long Lake Marsh Restoration Project. Last night we received approval from the Town Council to use $3,500 from the Ogden Dunes Community Fund. That's our first big chunk of match needed for the project. Thanks!We also had a nice story in the NWI Times about the project:http://www.nwitimes.com/articles/2007/11/06/news/porter_county/doc8bc7e047c98a47068625738b00163548.txt
Labels: Restoration

Every Drop Counts!

The Ogden Dunes Environmental Advisory Board recently mailed to all residents a guide, titled “Every Drop Counts,” packed with tools and ideas on how you can help protect water quality in our wetlands and Lake Michigan.

Funded by an Environmental Grant from the Indiana American Water Company, this helpful guide is especially relevant considering today’s headlines regarding water pollution issues. You may not realize it, but nonpoint source pollution, primarily caused by stormwater run-off, is a significant source of water pollution. An example of an idea that you might consider implementing from this guide is a Rain Garden that accepts run-off from your roof. A Demonstration Rain Garden has been constructed at 95 Diana Road, which is across the street from Long Lake Marsh. Its purpose is to help filter stormwater before it enters the marsh watershed.

This Rain Garden was also made possible through the generosity of the Environmental Grant provided by the Indiana American Water Company.

Long Lake Marsh will be receiving a lot of attention and care this next two years to improve water quality and restore its ecosystem. The Town of Ogden Dunes has been awarded a grant from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Lake Michigan Coastal Program that will focus on managing invasive species, such as the cattails; installing stormwater best management practices; and planting native seeds, plants and shrubs. This restoration project would not be possible without the support of our partners, including the Ogden Dunes Volunteer Fire Department (ODVFD), the Ogden Dunes Community Fund, the Save the Dunes Conservation Fund, and the Indiana American Water Company. The first step will be a planned prescribed burn of the marsh that will be conducted in the next month or so.

Please take a look at "Every Drop Counts" and let us know if you have any questions. Then, take a moment to tell me if you found this guide to be useful by sending me an email at spsmodin@verizon.net. I am particularly interested in knowing if you implemented any of the ideas presented. Be sure to visit this blog for updates and information on both projects.