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Camp Huckins Dry Well 2019
Rain runoff at Camp Huckins on Lake Ossipee runs toward the lake through this scenic opening on the vegetated shore. A granite block creates a nice place for campers to hang out and have a quiet moment, but the runoff was traveling around the block and eroding the bank of the lake.
The project area shown from the granite block looking back toward the lodge buildings. Rain water from the roofs and the compacted, pine-needle covered common areas runs toward and around the block and travels down the bank into the lake.
Soak Up the Rain NH team member Rob Livingston telling the campers about the project: to build a dry well in front of the granite block to capture runoff and let it soak into the ground to prevent erosion on the bank.
Campers hold the landscape fabric in place (which is there to prevent soil from clogging up the stone filled dry well) while other campers fill the dry well.
Campers fill the dry well with washed 3/4" stone. It's important that clean stone rather than gravel is used for stormwater practices like dry wells to create storage area so rain water can move into the the dry well.
These campers loved shoveling stone! Everyone wanted a turn. Capturing runoff prevents erosion along the bank of the lake, which reduces potential problems such as habitat being smothered by sand and silt in the shallow water along the shore.
Preventing erosion also helps to stabilize the trees and shrubs along the shore. Kudos to the Green Mountain Conservation Group and AmeriCorps volunteer Haley Parent for spear-heading this project.