BACKGROUND The Andersons back yard slopes down to Pleasant Lake. At the botom of the slope, a trail crosses the yard. During storm events, runoff flowed down the slope and over the trail. Sediment, organic matter, fertilizer, and trail materials washed directly into the lake. Compacted soils left standing water on the trail for long periods after rainfall events, leaving the trail difficult to use.

SITE SPECIFIC CONCERNS/GOALS The path along the lake was originally a farm road, and so the soils were quite compacted. The proximity of the lake meant that the depth to groundwater was very shallow. A traditional rain garden would not be able to handle the volume of water flowing down to the lake.

SOLUTIONS We excavated compacted soils along the full 250-foot width of the property, then lined the trench with filter fabric and installed drain tile. We covered the pipes with clean rock, washed sand, 18-24 inches of a sand/compost mix, and shredded hardwood mulch. The middle portion of the 250-foot project was planted as a bioretention rain garden while both ends were filled with clean, washed rock as a filter trench. A slow-drip irrigation line was installed for the first season, because we installed the plants during a dry, hot summer. All runoff from the site is captured and treated before it enters the lake. Resources from the homeowner, the homeowners association and a grant from the Ramsey Conservation District funded this project. The result is significantly cleaner runoff, reduced runoff volume, increased wildlife habitat, reduced erosion, dramatically improved aesthetics on the property and increased functionality of the path.