Pulaski County Soil and Water pitches rain garden to park board

The Pulaski County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) pitched the idea of a rain garden to the Winamac Board of Parks and Recreation during their first meeting of the new year on Feb. 4. Annabelle McCarthy from the Pulaski County SWCD stated that they are asking the board for a permanent location for a rain garden at the Winamac Town Park along with permission to host a workshop in the fall of this year, with the potential for more workshops in the future. A rain garden is a native plant garden that is planted in a depression in the ground with the idea of it slowing down rainwater, allowing it to infiltrate the ground rather than accumulating pollutants and runoff into streams and lakes. McCarthy noted that the SWCD would like to encourage people to use rain gardens on their own properties. The Soil and Water District is looking to host a workshop where Pulaski County residents will learn about their local watershed, major pollutants that impact water quality and the potential for rain garden to reduce polluted runoff.