On the 10th Anniversary of September 11, Prairie Rivers Network staff spent the day doing something positive and restorative with Champaign community partners. We worked side-by-side with McKinley Church and Foundation and more than a dozen University of Illinois students who live at McKinley’s Presby Hall. The task at hand was to turn a “swampy” patch of lawn into a rain garden that would do a better job of infiltrating stormwater and air conditioning condensation that comes off the dorm’s roof.
McKinley has wanted to deal with their standing water problem for some time now, and approached Prairie Rivers Network for help earlier this year. We met with McKinley Foundation Board Member David Bechtel and crafted a plan for moving forward.
After observing that drainage was likely poor because of compacted, clay soils, contractor Steve Royal excavated a bean-shaped area to about 6 inches deep, just above the local water table. With the help of enthusiastic students, we backfilled the hole with a mix of sand and compost, and then planted the area with native plants obtained from Illini FS Farmtown and Grand Prairie Friends. The plants will develop deeper root systems than the grass they are replacing, and over time the roots will make the soil more porous to water.
After the hard work was done, everyone enjoyed a well-deserved meal in the McKinley courtyard. We couldn’t have spent the day in a better way!