Boy Scouts Provide TLC for Cater’s Lake Rain Garden
September 30, 2014
ANDERSON, SC – Thanks to Boy Scout Troop 84 out of Central Presbyterian Church, the rain garden at Cater’s Lake Park in Anderson, SC is looking great and functioning properly. Rain gardens are built to collect rainwater, allowing it to slowly permeate into the ground. This prevents the stormwater runoff from flowing on the surface of the ground, picking up pollutants as it travels. By directing the water into the ground, the Cater’s Lake rain garden diverts pollutants such as goose waste, lawn clippings, and oil from going into the lake.
Troop 84, led by Senior Patrol Leader Alec Merlo, began their workday on Saturday, September 26, by raking the area. Too much organic matter in a rain garden will give the soil the ability to hold water longer – and the goal is for water to be able to percolate down. Once the leaves were out, the boys rearranged river rocks to better direct water from the road to the garden. Several of the older boys worked by the water to dig sediment out of a downhill drain so that water could flow in an underground pipe. They used the sediment they dug out to reinforce an eroding pathway. Three boys helped plant native asters and pink muhly grass, plants that are well suited for their new home in the rain garden. To finish it off, the boys spread a fresh layer of mulch for moisture control and to protect the soil from erosion.
This project was coordinated by Rachel Herold with Anderson County Stormwater Partners, a regional consortium of Clemson Extension’s Carolina Clear program. Mandy Baker, stormwater inspector for the City of Anderson, provided additional support. For more information about local efforts to protect water quality, go towww.clemson.edu/carolinaclear/
