The rains have been spectacular this monsoon season: over 13” and counting! The mesquite grove on Cactus outside Rancho Morado has come alive with plants unseen for years. To think that just months ago, worries about the mesquite grove prompted us to apply for a grant to install boulders to prevent further degradation of the soil from parked vehicles (read the proposal HERE). And though we did not secure funding, Ward 3 office connected us City Transportation and they are going to find the boulders and rocks we need, so stay tuned!
With the rains, Estelle Stern-Eilers arranged for a partnership with the Watershed Management Group’s (WMG) River Run Network to learn how to retain stormwater and encourage native habitat. We’ve adapted WMG’s term “rain garden” as it aptly fits our intention to capture rain and create a garden. Over 30 neighbors showed up at the first workday on August 21st. And by the end of the second work day on August 29th, 40 bags of unwanted vegetation, each weighing about 25 pounds, were removed! Neighbors volunteered their trash bins to dispose of the greens. More work needs to be done, but we are proud of what we have accomplished so far.
We have started a list of the plants identified at the rain garden. Though incomplete, here is the LINK for those interested: . If you see a plant mis-identified or know the name of one that is listed as unknown, please email us at rbna@rillitobendna.org. Also, if you have taken photos that you would like to contribute, please send them!
The next phase is to place the boulders when they arrive and build more check dams and swales to retain water for the rain garden. We will be monitoring the plants and will keep you posted on their progress and ask for help when needed.
A swale is a depression (natural or human-made) with gently sloped sides that captures or channels stormwater. Artificial ones are designed to slow down and collect runoff, facilitating infiltration into the soil.
A check dam is a small dam built across a drainage ditch or swale to reduce water flow, allowing water to collect and soak into the soil.
Thank you, WMG and volunteers, for your help!
For more information about WMG, visit https://watershedmg.org/river-run-network.