New Rain Garden at Stewart Lake - Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin
It’s hard enough keeping up with my rambunctious and hardworking toddler under normal circumstances, this summer I also had advanced pregnancy and the COVID-19 pandemic to contend with.
Nevertheless, I was distraught when I realized August was almost over and we hadn’t yet been swimming. One night I did a quick search for a local swimming hole and there it was, Stewart Lake in Mount Horeb, just a 20 minute drive away.
Notably the park, which was the first to be established in Dane County, offered several good toddler activities — a sandy beach, swimming lake, playground and hiking trails. It sounded perfect for a day in the sun during a normal summer.
The Tuesday that we set off for the lake I was nervous. I’d seen the attraction signs directing folks to the lake while driving to work and I worried it would be a popular hangout. But the weather was incredibly pleasant that day — almost too pleasant for swimming — the sky was filled with fluffy white clouds and the temperature was only expected to reach a high of 75℉ that afternoon.
When we got there I felt so lucky. What a beautiful day for a toddler and pregnant lady to go to the beach. And better yet, there were only a few other families with older children enjoying the space. Nothing like a pandemic to make you appreciate the ability of older children to avoid young ones.
So we spent a day at the beach. We mostly dug in the sand and occasionally waded into the water, my kid’s big into digging, and the water was a little cold. He’d venture in and quickly come out covered in goosebumps. On our way out of the park something caught my toddler’s eye — here was this bowl-shaped rocky area with lots of baby plants tucked between the lake and parking lot.
In true toddler style, he made a run for the vulnerable plants, shouting something about using his truck for a big job. And in true pregnant mama style, I waddled after him shouting incoherently about respecting the plants. In the end, we avoided having to write to the county office to apologize for wrecking their garden.
As we dusted off our egos and proceeded to the parking lot, we got to talking about rain gardens and wondering what kind of equipment the county used to create this one. We were curious — how and why did they create this rocky rain garden?
I just love this type of public project. On top of solving a problem it also provides a great opportunity for visitors to learn about ecological solutions to things, in this instance — soggy gardens. I ended up writing to the county parks department to learn more.
Christal Campbell, Stormwater Education Coordinator for Dane County, informed me that the area between the lake and parking lot has long been used to slow down runoff from upstream. Over time though, the area filled with sediment, was continuously wet and became a problem for mowing. The rain garden we discovered was installed this summer to better capture runoff water and improve drainage in the area.
Stewart Lake is situated at the base of a sudden drop. The lake’s about 200 feet lower than the highest point in Mount Horeb and much of that elevation change is achieved in the final minute of the drive there. The quick drop provides lots of potential for runoff water to pick up speed and carry pollution to the lake.
Rain gardens help prevent erosion and pollution by capturing runoff. Allowing it to sink slowly into the soil. The plants slow the flow of the water and their roots stabilize the soil. The dirt and rock then filter the runoff, retaining any solid particles and allowing the liquid to trickle into the earth.
The rain garden at Stewart Lake Park was designed and constructed by Dane County. The area was planted by volunteers from Friends of Stewart Lake along with help from a local church group. A mini excavator was used to remove about 2 feet of compacted soil to improve drainage and form the basin in which the rain garden sits. Then a dump truck and skid steer were used to bring sand and compost to prepare the area for planting.
Most of the plants for the Stewart Lake project were purchased through Plant Dane Native Plant Program by Mound Vue Garden Club from Mount Horeb. The Plant Dane Native Plant Program also provided some free plants for the project through their grant program. A mixture of native species were used including asters, sedges, milkweed, several species of native grasses, and more.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources recommends using native plants in rain gardens because of their deep root systems, and adaptation to the local environment. Native plants are also better able than non-native species to withstand the intermittent wet and dry conditions inherent to rain gardens, and to provide food and shelter for local wildlife.
After that first visit, our family has returned to the park several times to enjoy its sandy beach and hiking trails. In fact, our first hike after our second child was born in mid-September, was at Stewart Lake. We can’t wait to see everything blooming in the years to come.
*Photo Credits to Dane County Land & Water Resources Department.
