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About Our Programs>Projects 2006-2008>Kids Creek Stormwater Project>Neighborhood LID Projects
Kids Creek Low Impact Development Projects
Project Partners: Grand Traverse Conservation District
The Watershed Center and the Grand Traverse Conservation District completed a pilot project with residents of the Kid's Creek neighborhood to address stormwater and seasonal flooding issues by installing low impact development techniques (i.e. rain gardens, buffer strips, pervious pavement) using a cost-sharing program.
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![Installed rain garden, planted in fall so flowers and grasses are not yet visible [Click here to view full size picture]](media/watershedtc/tn_rain_garden_after.jpg)
![Conceptual picture of rain garden (drawing courtesy of Ruth Zachary and Rain Gardens of West MI). [Click here to view full size picture]](media/watershedtc/tn_brochure_pic.jpg)
We worked with one homeowner along Kids Creek to install a 100-square foot rain garden to capture runoff from his roof, driveway, and garage. Construction and planting took place early Fall 2006 and the plants and flowers should be popping up this Spring!
A rain garden is a simple, yet beautiful solution to controlling stormwater runoff on land. What makes a rain garden different from a regular garden is that it is designed to absorb and filter rain that would otherwise run off your property and down into a storm drain. The bowl-shape design of a rain garden, combined with the deep rooted native plants in the garden, effectively hold the rain while it soaks into the soil.
We hope this rain garden will serve as a demonstration project for other homeowners in the area and show them how a solution to stormwater pollution can be as simple as a beautiful flower garden. For more information on rain gardens, vist Rain Gardens of West Michigan.
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| Pervious Pavement Driveways |
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![Pervious Pavement installation site - not completed yet [Click here to view full size picture]](media/watershedtc/tn_1st_paver_siteduring.jpg)
Two homeowners agreed to install pervious pavers in their residential driveways as part of a demonstration project (totaling 600 square feet). Pervious pavers are basically bricks that fit together, allowing water infiltrate between them, while still providing a hard surface for vehicles to park on or drive across. Installation of the driveways took place late Fall 2006 and final vegetative plantings for the driveways in spring 2007.
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![Restored erosion site at Munson Hospital, riparian buffers will be planted here in Spring 2007 [Click here to view full size picture]](media/watershedtc/tn_s322after.jpg)
750 feet of riparian buffers were planted along Kids Creek at Munson Hospital in Traverse City. Thanks to a cost-sharing arrangement, The Watershed Center and Munson addressed severely eroding streambanks and lack of buffer along a portion of Kids Creek running alongside their parking lot.
Vegetative buffers are extremely important along rivers and other waterways to reduce the impacts of pollutants in stormwater runoff and provide bank stabilization.
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This page last updated on 7/31/2009.
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![Installed rain garden, planted in fall so flowers and grasses are not yet visible [Click here to view full size picture]](javascript:showPic(new picObj('media/watershedtc/rain_garden_after.jpg', 'Installed rain garden, planted in fall so flowers and grasses are not yet visible',1024,768));)
![Conceptual picture of rain garden (drawing courtesy of Ruth Zachary and Rain Gardens of West MI). [Click here to view full size picture]](javascript:showPic(new picObj('media/watershedtc/brochure_pic.jpg', 'Conceptual picture of rain garden (drawing courtesy of Ruth Zachary and Rain Gardens of West MI).',327,383));)
![Pervious Pavement installation site - not completed yet [Click here to view full size picture]](javascript:showPic(new picObj('media/watershedtc/1st_paver_siteduring.jpg', 'Pervious Pavement installation site - not completed yet',1024,430));)
![Restored erosion site at Munson Hospital, riparian buffers will be planted here in Spring 2007 [Click here to view full size picture]](javascript:showPic(new picObj('media/watershedtc/s322after.jpg', 'Restored erosion site at Munson Hospital, riparian buffers will be planted here in Spring 2007',1024,768));)