Preserve Rain Gardens? We have been asked some questions about the rain garden project at the Illahee Preserve's new parking lot on Almira. The project was mentioned at the ICC meeting on Saturday and in the meeting summary Update that followed.
Community in Support. We noted in the last Update community members helped keep the weeds out of the rain garden plots during the summer and with a special effort on Illahee Day. Attached is a picture of the larger rain garden plot. The ICC voted on Saturday to officially support the project along with the other organizations that have agreed to help.
Request for Volunteers Went Out Today (11/19/09). There was a request for volunteers to help with the rain garden planning, planting, etc. We have been asked to keep the Illahee Community informed of volunteer opportunities and have therefore attached the email that went out today.
Jim Aho
Native Plant Demonstration Rain Garden at the Illahee Preserve, Request for Volunteers
The necessary approvals for the Native Plant Demonstration Rain Garden at the Illahee Preserve's new Almira Street parking lot have been obtained.
Following is the recent correspondence log of significant emails describing the project in greater detail.
We have just started the planning process and have some ideas for what could done, but would like to get more input. Basically, we have one area of 10' by 105', and another area roughly 25' by 105', which totals almost 4000 sq ft. We feel there could be a number of different demonstration plots with different plants and themes.
Signage will be one of the key issues as the demonstration rain garden concept is for it to be self interpretive. We are anticipating grant monies from the Department of Ecology and the Port of Illahee for signage. We are already investigating putting in security lights and security cameras with the Illahee Preserve groups to make sure our work remains in tact. These projects would be paid for by the groups since there are no park's funds available.
We want to get started as soon as possible, first with a plan, and then with plantings. We have had some individuals already volunteer plants and help with planting.
Aimee Weber is a botanist who just moved back into the area and has designed commercial rain gardens in Northern California and has volunteered to help with the planning. We would like to have others join her.
We are trying to figure out how to make this happen quickly in order to take advantage of the rainy season. The parking lot dedication will be in early spring and the rain garden needs to be completed well ahead of that date.
We need volunteers to help with planning, planting, signage, and possibly some other items we are unaware of, such as the possibility of contacting local nurseries to see if they are interested in putting in a demonstration plot.
If you can help please respond to this email.
Rain Garden Correspondence Log
Native Plant Demonstration Rain Garden Proposal -- Email of October 26, 2008
A Native Plant Demonstration Rain Garden is being proposed for the two rain garden areas interior and adjacent to the new Illahee Preserve Almira parking lot that was completed this past spring.
Rain gardens are one of the key features that are needed in the Illahee area in particular, and the county in general, to contain storm water and to help replenish the area aquifers, which was a finding of the Parametrix "Illahee Creek Watershed Surface Water Management Plan." A demonstration rain garden is proposed to help local residents, along with any others, to see what a rain garden looks like, in order to encourage them to install one themselves. The Illahee Preserve parking lot is viewed as an ideal location because of the increasing volume of people using the Preserve.
The two proposed rain garden areas have the appropriate amended soils that were put in as part of the parking lot contract. The plantings of appropriate rain garden plants was delayed until the fall wet season (mid-October and later).
The concept of a demonstration type of rain garden has been proposed informally to date and has received support by those contacted, and it is now past due for getting formal approval to proceed.
There are six (or seven) recommended demonstration plot areas that have been identified. The 10 foot wide by 105 foot narrow area adjacent to the parking lot entrance is recommended for three 35' X 10' plots. The nominal 25' by 105' interior area with flared areas at each end is recommended for three or four plots.
The plots are proposed to be distinguished by purpose with each one having a unique design reflecting that purpose, such as a rain garden specifically designed to attract birds, whereas another may be for attractive colors, and yet another to mimic a more wetland type of setting. Another purpose would be one for those with a limited budget that looks at readily available sword ferns and sedges and plants lending themselves to propagation techniques like dividing.
Signage will be the key component of each plot with the intent of it being self explanatory. The biggest concern with any sign is vandalism. We are hoping to use grant monies to help with the signs, subject to available funds.
The key stakeholders of the raingarden are:
KC Parks and Recreation
Illahee Preserve Stewardship Committee
KC Public Works
UW Washington Sea Grant
WSU Extension
Port of Illahee (DOE Grant recipient)
Kitsap Home Builders (if interested)
Illahee Forest Preserve
East Bremerton Rotary
This proposal has in part been discussed with Parks and Recreation, the Illahee Preserve Stewardship Committee, the Illahee Forest Preserve, and the Port of Illahee, and is now requesting a meeting with Jeff Adams of Washington Sea Grant and WSU Extension.
Any ideas or suggestions with the subject proposal are appreciated.
Jim Aho, Project Manager of DOE/POI "Illahee Surface Water Management Plan" Grant
Email of November 1, 2009
Site Visit to Proposed Native Plant Demonstration Rain Garden. On Thursday morning, November 5th, at 10 am, we will be meeting Jeff Adams of Washington Sea Grant at the new Illahee Preserve parking lot on Almira(behind the Bremerton Lowes store) to look over the rain garden site and the proposal that it be a Native Plant Demonstration Rain Garden. We will be discussing the number of possible plots (currently looking at 6 or 7) and what concepts should be presented, along with signage options, and sources of native plants. You are invited to this meeting. Jim Aho
Email to Dave Garland dated November 5, 2009
Dave -
We just met today (11/5/09) regarding the attached email describing the Native Plant Demonstration Rain Garden Proposal as part of our DOE grant, and all the stakeholders noted below are in basic agreement with this proposed project.
This project appears to be what is needed to help move people from just being interested in rain gardens, to getting them to see what a rain garden can look like so that they will want to install a rain garden.
The location of the project is the new and primary parking lot for the Illahee Preserve, a 460 acre Kitsap County Heritage Park. The parking lot was completed in late spring, and was waiting for the dry summer weather to end before planting two relatively large rain garden plots.
The demonstration rain garden concept needed to go through a number of groups for approval beginning with the Illahee Preserve Stewardship Group, which approved the concept in October. The Kitsap County Parks Department had agreed earlier that the Stewardship Group would be responsible for the rain garden.
Subsequently, other groups were contacted, including Kitsap County Public Work's Surface and Stormwater Management Program, which are all in agreement with the proposed project. The current list of groups agreeing to participate in various manners is as follows.
Kitsap County Parks and Recreation
Illahee Preserve Stewardship Committee
Kitsap County Public Works Surface and Stormwater Management Program
UW Washington Sea Grant
WSU Extension & Master Gardeners
Port of Illahee (DOE Grant recipient)
Kitsap Home Builders
Illahee Forest Preserve
Kitsap County Conservation District
East Bremerton Rotary
Illahee Community Club (will vote regarding involvement at their annual meeting in November)
There are many benefits of using this site, the first being location. It is centrally located between East Bremerton and Silverdale. The Preserve has ever increasing popularity and therefore visits from the surrounding urban community. The design was completed using Low Impact Development standards. And best of all, the rain garden area is complete with amended soils, which have been weeded through the dry summer months, by the Illahee Preserve Stewardship Group, the East Bremerton Rotary, and AmeriCorp. All that is needed now is the plantings, and that is where the idea for this to be much more than just the planting of native plants that would hardly get noticed being so close to a forest of native plants.
The concept is stated in the attached email below, and with some good signage and displays, we feel that we can help move residents within the Illahee Creek watershed, and beyond, to consider rain gardens to handle the stormwater coming from or through their properties. With counties strapped for money to do minor and major stormwater improvements, such as were described in the grant funded report, any changes will need to come from concerned landowners.
While we feel this should be an integral part of our Public Information and Education task, given the unique opportunity to take advantage of the availability of the site, it is not specifically listed as a performance item in our task.
We would like permission to add it into our Public Information and Education task. The primary grant cash costs associated with the rain garden project will be coordination and signage. A review of the finances indicates that there will be sufficient funds to accomplish the work within the grant's bottomline budget allotment.
Please let us know earliest if this project can be accomplished as part of our DOE task.
Jim Aho
Email to Dave Garland and Pat Brommer of November 10, 2009
Dave & Pat -
We are anxious to move ahead with our Rain Garden proposal, which we consider a rare opportunity to increase the effectiveness of our Public Information & Education Task. While we feel this falls within the parameters of the task under Item A of Task 2, which states "Responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to..." and further "The recipient and designees will develop outreach tools to provide water quality information to the public, ....," we want to get your approval.
We have assembled a number of outstanding partners who are ready to get started, especially with this being the rainy season, and would like to give them the go ahead. The primary direct cost to the grant would be the signage, native plants that aren't donated, and the coordination time. This will also be a big help the Port with in-kind contributions.
Jim Aho
Phonecon Response from Dave Garland on November 12, 2009
I inquired of Dave if he had received our emails regarding the request to install a Native Plant Demonstration Rain Garden at the new Illahee Preserve parking lot. Dave responded that he was giving us the go ahead to proceed, but noted he was waiting on a call from Pat Brommer. We discussed that a letter would be required of us to reallocate funds from the other tasks. I said that we had funds that could be reallocated and we would be sending in a letter. Jim Aho, Grant Project Manager
Following is the recent correspondence log of significant emails describing the project in greater detail.
We have just started the planning process and have some ideas for what could done, but would like to get more input. Basically, we have one area of 10' by 105', and another area roughly 25' by 105', which totals almost 4000 sq ft. We feel there could be a number of different demonstration plots with different plants and themes.
Signage will be one of the key issues as the demonstration rain garden concept is for it to be self interpretive. We are anticipating grant monies from the Department of Ecology and the Port of Illahee for signage. We are already investigating putting in security lights and security cameras with the Illahee Preserve groups to make sure our work remains in tact. These projects would be paid for by the groups since there are no park's funds available.
We want to get started as soon as possible, first with a plan, and then with plantings. We have had some individuals already volunteer plants and help with planting.
Aimee Weber is a botanist who just moved back into the area and has designed commercial rain gardens in Northern California and has volunteered to help with the planning. We would like to have others join her.
We are trying to figure out how to make this happen quickly in order to take advantage of the rainy season. The parking lot dedication will be in early spring and the rain garden needs to be completed well ahead of that date.
We need volunteers to help with planning, planting, signage, and possibly some other items we are unaware of, such as the possibility of contacting local nurseries to see if they are interested in putting in a demonstration plot.
If you can help please respond to this email.
Rain Garden Correspondence Log
Native Plant Demonstration Rain Garden Proposal -- Email of October 26, 2008
A Native Plant Demonstration Rain Garden is being proposed for the two rain garden areas interior and adjacent to the new Illahee Preserve Almira parking lot that was completed this past spring.
Rain gardens are one of the key features that are needed in the Illahee area in particular, and the county in general, to contain storm water and to help replenish the area aquifers, which was a finding of the Parametrix "Illahee Creek Watershed Surface Water Management Plan." A demonstration rain garden is proposed to help local residents, along with any others, to see what a rain garden looks like, in order to encourage them to install one themselves. The Illahee Preserve parking lot is viewed as an ideal location because of the increasing volume of people using the Preserve.
The two proposed rain garden areas have the appropriate amended soils that were put in as part of the parking lot contract. The plantings of appropriate rain garden plants was delayed until the fall wet season (mid-October and later).
The concept of a demonstration type of rain garden has been proposed informally to date and has received support by those contacted, and it is now past due for getting formal approval to proceed.
There are six (or seven) recommended demonstration plot areas that have been identified. The 10 foot wide by 105 foot narrow area adjacent to the parking lot entrance is recommended for three 35' X 10' plots. The nominal 25' by 105' interior area with flared areas at each end is recommended for three or four plots.
The plots are proposed to be distinguished by purpose with each one having a unique design reflecting that purpose, such as a rain garden specifically designed to attract birds, whereas another may be for attractive colors, and yet another to mimic a more wetland type of setting. Another purpose would be one for those with a limited budget that looks at readily available sword ferns and sedges and plants lending themselves to propagation techniques like dividing.
Signage will be the key component of each plot with the intent of it being self explanatory. The biggest concern with any sign is vandalism. We are hoping to use grant monies to help with the signs, subject to available funds.
The key stakeholders of the raingarden are:
KC Parks and Recreation
Illahee Preserve Stewardship Committee
KC Public Works
UW Washington Sea Grant
WSU Extension
Port of Illahee (DOE Grant recipient)
Kitsap Home Builders (if interested)
Illahee Forest Preserve
East Bremerton Rotary
This proposal has in part been discussed with Parks and Recreation, the Illahee Preserve Stewardship Committee, the Illahee Forest Preserve, and the Port of Illahee, and is now requesting a meeting with Jeff Adams of Washington Sea Grant and WSU Extension.
Any ideas or suggestions with the subject proposal are appreciated.
Jim Aho, Project Manager of DOE/POI "Illahee Surface Water Management Plan" Grant
Email of November 1, 2009
Site Visit to Proposed Native Plant Demonstration Rain Garden. On Thursday morning, November 5th, at 10 am, we will be meeting Jeff Adams of Washington Sea Grant at the new Illahee Preserve parking lot on Almira(behind the Bremerton Lowes store) to look over the rain garden site and the proposal that it be a Native Plant Demonstration Rain Garden. We will be discussing the number of possible plots (currently looking at 6 or 7) and what concepts should be presented, along with signage options, and sources of native plants. You are invited to this meeting. Jim Aho
Email to Dave Garland dated November 5, 2009
Dave -
We just met today (11/5/09) regarding the attached email describing the Native Plant Demonstration Rain Garden Proposal as part of our DOE grant, and all the stakeholders noted below are in basic agreement with this proposed project.
This project appears to be what is needed to help move people from just being interested in rain gardens, to getting them to see what a rain garden can look like so that they will want to install a rain garden.
The location of the project is the new and primary parking lot for the Illahee Preserve, a 460 acre Kitsap County Heritage Park. The parking lot was completed in late spring, and was waiting for the dry summer weather to end before planting two relatively large rain garden plots.
The demonstration rain garden concept needed to go through a number of groups for approval beginning with the Illahee Preserve Stewardship Group, which approved the concept in October. The Kitsap County Parks Department had agreed earlier that the Stewardship Group would be responsible for the rain garden.
Subsequently, other groups were contacted, including Kitsap County Public Work's Surface and Stormwater Management Program, which are all in agreement with the proposed project. The current list of groups agreeing to participate in various manners is as follows.
Kitsap County Parks and Recreation
Illahee Preserve Stewardship Committee
Kitsap County Public Works Surface and Stormwater Management Program
UW Washington Sea Grant
WSU Extension & Master Gardeners
Port of Illahee (DOE Grant recipient)
Kitsap Home Builders
Illahee Forest Preserve
Kitsap County Conservation District
East Bremerton Rotary
Illahee Community Club (will vote regarding involvement at their annual meeting in November)
There are many benefits of using this site, the first being location. It is centrally located between East Bremerton and Silverdale. The Preserve has ever increasing popularity and therefore visits from the surrounding urban community. The design was completed using Low Impact Development standards. And best of all, the rain garden area is complete with amended soils, which have been weeded through the dry summer months, by the Illahee Preserve Stewardship Group, the East Bremerton Rotary, and AmeriCorp. All that is needed now is the plantings, and that is where the idea for this to be much more than just the planting of native plants that would hardly get noticed being so close to a forest of native plants.
The concept is stated in the attached email below, and with some good signage and displays, we feel that we can help move residents within the Illahee Creek watershed, and beyond, to consider rain gardens to handle the stormwater coming from or through their properties. With counties strapped for money to do minor and major stormwater improvements, such as were described in the grant funded report, any changes will need to come from concerned landowners.
While we feel this should be an integral part of our Public Information and Education task, given the unique opportunity to take advantage of the availability of the site, it is not specifically listed as a performance item in our task.
We would like permission to add it into our Public Information and Education task. The primary grant cash costs associated with the rain garden project will be coordination and signage. A review of the finances indicates that there will be sufficient funds to accomplish the work within the grant's bottomline budget allotment.
Please let us know earliest if this project can be accomplished as part of our DOE task.
Jim Aho
Email to Dave Garland and Pat Brommer of November 10, 2009
Dave & Pat -
We are anxious to move ahead with our Rain Garden proposal, which we consider a rare opportunity to increase the effectiveness of our Public Information & Education Task. While we feel this falls within the parameters of the task under Item A of Task 2, which states "Responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to..." and further "The recipient and designees will develop outreach tools to provide water quality information to the public, ....," we want to get your approval.
We have assembled a number of outstanding partners who are ready to get started, especially with this being the rainy season, and would like to give them the go ahead. The primary direct cost to the grant would be the signage, native plants that aren't donated, and the coordination time. This will also be a big help the Port with in-kind contributions.
Jim Aho
Phonecon Response from Dave Garland on November 12, 2009
I inquired of Dave if he had received our emails regarding the request to install a Native Plant Demonstration Rain Garden at the new Illahee Preserve parking lot. Dave responded that he was giving us the go ahead to proceed, but noted he was waiting on a call from Pat Brommer. We discussed that a letter would be required of us to reallocate funds from the other tasks. I said that we had funds that could be reallocated and we would be sending in a letter. Jim Aho, Grant Project Manager
