Week 4

This week really illustrated what many projects look like at some point or another--the waiting game. From playing phone tag to being stuck in limbo while other tasks are completed, maneuvering through a project and actually meeting objectives on time can be a challenge. Fortunately we were able to hear back from at least one of the voices we were anticipating. Our contact at French Reneker Engineering has a meeting on the 29th with the new city administrator. She plans to discuss MUM's portion of the Crow Creek project with him and will then meet with us sometime in July. Ideally I'd like to meet on the 1st or 2nd so I can help as much as possible before the end of the internship. Tom is contacting her to see if this is possible. The good news is that she already has cost estimates for the designs we're looking to implement.

Unfortunately, the Wastewater Superintendent with the City of Fairfield Sewage Treatment is still performing the camera work necessary for the sanitation report we've been looking for. About 100 hours of work have been completed so far though. There's still at least another 50 to go. At this point it looks like there are a few connections that will need to be disconnected. The major problem is that there are still some 2 inch tree roots that could not be removed using the method employed by the company that was hired to remove them. Along with the sanitation report, a proposal with cost estimates for the removal of those remaining roots will be sent to us once the camera work is complete.

Though we're still waiting on a couple of things that prevent us from moving forward (at least as quickly as we'd hoped), there are always other things that can be done in the interim. I was fortunate enough to be given a few opportunities to observe rainwater flow in a couple of our priority sites this week. Several days of intermittent rain provided a valuable firsthand look at the current state of water mitigation in these areas.

In addition to field observation, we decided it would be beneficial for me to continue to focus on designs that have already been implemented. We are still in the process of locating the exact design for the rain gardens in front of Argiro, but sustainable water management isn't an idea that is unique to MUM. Countless homeowners, businesses, landscapers, and schools have started to introduce and implement these functional features into their properties. In looking at some of the designs that have already been successful, perhaps we will emulate a version of our own that will: feature plants native to Iowa, embody the principles representative of the MUM community, efficiently manage water, and all while being aesthetically pleasing.

[Washtenaw County, MI] The county's rain garden program began in 2005 with grant funding and has helped homeowners plan, design, and install over 105 rain gardens!

Rain garden in parking lot

Rain garden at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, IL