Presentation of 2008 Environmental Excellence Awards
Q.
2008 Environmental Excellence Awards
The Environmental Excellence Awards are presented by the City of Chanhassen to
recognize environmental improvements and stewardship throughout the community.
These awards are designed not only to recognize achievement, but also to
communicate new ideas and encourage the members of the Chanhassen community to
make a difference in their world.
Mary Borns
Project: Watershed education and outreach
As a lakeshore property owner, Mary understands the importance of water quality and
its effect on the condition of a lake. She became involved with the Riley-Purgatory-Bluff
Creek Watershed District (RPBCWD) citizen advisory committee and learned what she
could do to help maintain and improve this vital community asset. For several years,
Mary has taken her own time and resources to meet and educate residents around
Lotus Lake about water quality. And Mary doesn't stop there; she also has visited and
spoken with residents on other Chanhassen lakes educating them on water quality
practices Recently, she canvassed the Laredo Drive reconstruction area about the
benefits of rain gardens and compiled a list of residents who would be interested in
installing raingardens on their property to help address storm water runoff in the Lotus
Lake Watershed. In 2008, she also worked with other Lake Associations to coordinate
carp harvesting from area lakes. The City of Chanhassen commends Mary's dedication
and commitment to water quality in our city.
lake Riley Woods Neighborhood
Project: Raingarden installations
The residents of the Lake Riley Woods Neighborhood have been busy this past year
installing some new additions to the neighborhood landscape. The neighborhood
partnered with the City of Chanhassen and the Carver Soil and Water Conservation
district to construct six large raingardens in the right-of-way along Foxford Road. The
neighborhood had been experiencing a large amount of stormwater runoff that was
causing erosion issues downstream and eventually draining into Lake Riley, bringing
with it sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants. The raingardens along Foxford Road
will catch stormwater runoff from the road, driveways, and lawns to infiltrate stormwater,
reduce flooding, and filter out fertilizer, nutrients and other harmful pollutants that
otherwise would end up in Lake Riley. The raingardens were excavated in the fall of
2007 and then planted in the spring of 2008 by neighborhood residents, many of whom
volunteered even though they were not able to have a raingarden installed on their own
property. The large amount of neighborhood volunteers, as well as their enthusiasm and
participation in the planning process allowed the project to be installed quickly and with
great success. The time, efforts and hard work that were put forth by the Lake Riley
Woods Neighborhood residents produced a landscape amenity that is a beautiful asset
to the neighborhood and also improved water quality.
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