Two new rain gardens coming to downtown Alpena this fall
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ALPENA -- Conservation nonprofit Huron Pines and the City of Alpena are breaking ground on two new rain gardens in the downtown area, the latest in a slate of community-chosen infrastructure projects and shoreline improvements that are capturing stormwater runoff, restoring natural habitats and protecting water quality, according to a Huron Pines press release on Thursday. Construction is expected to begin the week of Sept. 21.
The gardens are the result of a community visioning effort led by Huron Pines in 2022, when residents shared feedback on proposed green stormwater infrastructure projects across the city, the release stated. The projects, selected by the City of Alpena, Huron Pines, and engineering firm Drummond Carpenter included dune restoration at Mich-e-ke-wis Park, a pollinator garden and rain garden at Bay View Park, planter boxes and a rain garden at Center Alley, and tree boxes installed during the 2025 renovation of Culligan Plaza.
"The City of Alpena took on the challenge of finding natural solutions for managing stormwater, engaged their community fully in the effort and implemented every idea in a span of just four years," Amy Nowakowski, senior project manager for Huron Pines, said in the release. "They knocked it out of the park and the community has a lot to show for it."
One of the rain gardens to be installed this month will replace an existing cobblestone berm along River Street with deep-rooted native plants which will filter stormwater runoff naturally while providing blossoms for birds and beneficial insects, the release stated. The project supports the city's planned renovation of an adjacent parking lot at the corner of River Street and North Third Avenue.
"The River Street parking lot project has been in the City's Capital Improvement Project Plan for several years but parking lots can easily be cut from a final budget," City Manager Rachel Smolinski said in the release. "This is an opportunity when we can see a capital project to fruition that prioritizes stormwater management. Huron Pines secured grant funding to share costs with the City, bringing this project to the forefront and helping meet our goals to protect water quality as a Lake Huron Forever community."
A second rain garden will be installed this fall near the Alpena Downtown Development Authority (DDA) building on the corner of East Washington Avenue and West Chisholm Street, converting an existing lawn area into a fully-functioning example of green stormwater infrastructure, the release stated. A combination of trees, shrubs, and native wildflowers will catch runoff from the roof of the DDA building and surrounding streetscape, reducing the load on underground storm sewers while serving as a community showpiece for stormwater management.
"I am really excited to see this space go from a plain lawn to a colorful, pollinator-friendly rain garden that will help improve water quality and raise awareness about runoff in our community," Executive Director Anne Gentry said in the release. "Water is one of our greatest assets, and I am hopeful this garden will showcase the impact these projects can have in protecting and stewarding it."
Stormwater is rainfall and snowmelt that flows over streets, parking lots, and other hard surfaces, carrying pollutants into storm drains which empty into Lake Huron, according to Huron Pines.
Rain gardens use a combination of well-draining soil and deep-rooted native plants to catch and filter stormwater runoff, the release stated. In Alpena, rain gardens reduce the load on traditional storm sewers, prolonging the life of these systems, and contribute to cleaner drinking water by catching stormwater which would otherwise flow directly into the Thunder Bay River and Lake Huron. Examples of rain gardens can be found at Bay View Park and along the Bi-Path at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center. They are one example of green stormwater infrastructure.
These projects are supported in part by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation with a $115,000 grant through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Find more information about the Lake Huron Forever initiative and the 2026 One Water Gathering, being held Oct. 1 through Oct. 2 in Alpena, at lakehuronforever.org.