....that there was grant money available for projects that could prevent or control the constant erosion of soils and excess runoff into a lake or other body of water. They then made contact with the North Central Minnesota Soil & Water Conservation District’s Joint Powers Board engineer who prepared several plans for us to consider and eventually approve by late fall 2016. The proposed outcome of the plan was to capture, hold, and divert the storm water that would otherwise rush into the proposed dining hall expansion and at the same time control it to the point that the runoff from a substantial rain event to the lake would be nearly eliminated! This grant was called The Community Partners Grant that originated from the Minnesota Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Fund. (Continued below)
Phase 1 Project Details:
In order to control the storm water the plan called for the installation of a huge reservoir to capture the storm water onslaught. The heavy equipment arrived at Pine Haven during the 3rd week in August. The new reservoir consists of a pit approximately 42” in depth. It starts by the steps on the south end of the dining hall and continues at a width of 10’ along the entire west side of the new dining hall addition and then wraps around and extends 18’ beyond the north end of the new addition.
After the reservoir was created it was then filled with washed stone and then covered with 12”x12” concrete pavers 6” thick. The pavers are interlocking and have a ½” gap between the pavers for the water to drain into. Of course the new pavers also provide a stable walking surface for our campers. The pavers connect and lead to the Canteen gathering area as well. The pavers not only provide a safe walking surface but will prevent the erosion that follows heavy rains on an otherwise grass worn pathway.
This new underground reservoir and paver system will handle most rain events but has been designed with a safety valve of sorts to direct any additional storm water from the reservoir through a slight swale towards the State land on the north end of our parking lot where it can then be filtered before reaching the lake.
When the engineers were designing the Phase 1 project they observed and listened to our concerns about the road that leads to the kitchen between the girl’s cabins and the new Holt property/Morning Sun Bay picnic area. The issue was that during intense rain events water originating from the area behind the bath house was running downhill and washing out the road and depositing gravel and sand in the picnic area and eroding the soil as it made its way to the lake. The camp has added class 5 crushed rock to rebuild the road several times over the years.
Initially, in the fall of 2016 we acknowledged that we would like to address this area as well, but that our resources would not allow us to tackle two large projects like this at once. There was grant money for Phase 1, but none for Phase 2.
However, later in December two game changers happened that transformed all of that.
Game Changer #1: The slated recipients of a previous Community Partners Grant approved by Hubbard County Soil and Water put their project on an indefinite hold and that grant was then offered to Pine Haven! Both Community Partners Grants totaled $38,123!
Game Changer #2: Because both Pine Haven projects were so large, Hubbard County Soil and Water went outside public grant money and applied on our behalf for an Ecofootprint Grant extended from the Enbridge Energy Corporation. Both Pine Haven projects met Enbridge’s stipulations for the Ecofootprint Grant and we received a $27,000 grant to be used towards both projects! These two grants covered over 70% of the costs of these large and important land stewardship projects.
Phase 2 Project Details:
In order to prevent storm water from washing out the road and making a straight path to the lake several key components were required.
Key Component #1: Raise the girl’s side of the road approximately 3’. This new high ridge keeps the water from washing across the road. The excavated dirt from the newly created reservoir in the Phase 1 project was used for this purpose.
Key Component #2: Rain Gardens and Overflow. Merely raising the girl’s side of the road would only increase the flow of water towards the kitchen parking lot and into the children’s playground area. To alleviate that from happening two rain gardens were installed – a large one at the curve at the top of the drive between cabins Ruth, Lydia, and the handicap/family bathroom, and a smaller one further down the road between cabin Naomi and the Esther/Deborah cabin. Several purposes a rain garden serves is that when constructed a reservoir is created and special soil and mulch is combined and laid in the newly created reservoir to create a natural filter to the water that is introduced into the rain garden. It is designed to accommodate much of the storm water runoff that comes into it, but to prevent the rain garden from flooding and overflowing during an extended large rain event a culvert pipe located at a vertical midpoint in the rain garden to direct the excess water under and across the road. The larger rain garden overflow pipe is 15” in diameter, and extends underground to within 25’ of the shore by the Holt docks. A heavy saturation of large stones were placed at the outlet to prevent erosion at the exit point. Special rain garden plants were also part of the rain garden design and were planted in the bottoms of the rain gardens. The plants are capable of being completely saturated with water or enduring long dry spells without stress.
Key Component #3: Check Dams. Several check dams were installed along the newly created “ditch” on the girl’s side of the road between the rain gardens and beyond. They were also placed at the outlet of the under-road culvert. A check dam consists of large stones placed to the engineer’s specifications to slow the flow of water as it moves down the hill. A check dam was also placed midpoint between the reservoir pavers and the State land in Phase 1.
So by October of 2017 both Phase 1 and Phase 2 projects have been completed. The Pine Haven Christian Assembly camp board of directors take very seriously the care and protection to this precious parcel of real estate that we have been entrusted to. We view this special place as Holy ground! We’ve installed walking paths, retaining walls, and planted hundreds of trees over the years. We want to be good neighbors to those on Long Lake. We are most grateful to the folks at the Hubbard County Soil & Water Conservation District for their help with project designs and grant assistance. The folks at the Enbridge Energy Corporation have been very generous to us.
The entire process has been spread out over two years and God has placed us with the right people at the right times. Most of all we are most grateful to God and his rich blessing as we strive to continue to make Pine Haven a special place for those that come to this special “thin place” where many over the years have experienced a closeness to God. We know that lives have been and continue to be changed and strengthened at Pine Haven each summer.
Our next step to begin the construction of the new16’x54’ dining hall addition will commence when God’s people provide the necessary funds to do so.
Joe Cachiaras
Pine Haven Christian Assembly Vice Chairman/Property & Long Term Committee Chairman
In order to control the storm water the plan called for the installation of a huge reservoir to capture the storm water onslaught. The heavy equipment arrived at Pine Haven during the 3rd week in August. The new reservoir consists of a pit approximately 42” in depth. It starts by the steps on the south end of the dining hall and continues at a width of 10’ along the entire west side of the new dining hall addition and then wraps around and extends 18’ beyond the north end of the new addition.
After the reservoir was created it was then filled with washed stone and then covered with 12”x12” concrete pavers 6” thick. The pavers are interlocking and have a ½” gap between the pavers for the water to drain into. Of course the new pavers also provide a stable walking surface for our campers. The pavers connect and lead to the Canteen gathering area as well. The pavers not only provide a safe walking surface but will prevent the erosion that follows heavy rains on an otherwise grass worn pathway.
This new underground reservoir and paver system will handle most rain events but has been designed with a safety valve of sorts to direct any additional storm water from the reservoir through a slight swale towards the State land on the north end of our parking lot where it can then be filtered before reaching the lake.
When the engineers were designing the Phase 1 project they observed and listened to our concerns about the road that leads to the kitchen between the girl’s cabins and the new Holt property/Morning Sun Bay picnic area. The issue was that during intense rain events water originating from the area behind the bath house was running downhill and washing out the road and depositing gravel and sand in the picnic area and eroding the soil as it made its way to the lake. The camp has added class 5 crushed rock to rebuild the road several times over the years.
Initially, in the fall of 2016 we acknowledged that we would like to address this area as well, but that our resources would not allow us to tackle two large projects like this at once. There was grant money for Phase 1, but none for Phase 2.
However, later in December two game changers happened that transformed all of that.
Game Changer #1: The slated recipients of a previous Community Partners Grant approved by Hubbard County Soil and Water put their project on an indefinite hold and that grant was then offered to Pine Haven! Both Community Partners Grants totaled $38,123!
Game Changer #2: Because both Pine Haven projects were so large, Hubbard County Soil and Water went outside public grant money and applied on our behalf for an Ecofootprint Grant extended from the Enbridge Energy Corporation. Both Pine Haven projects met Enbridge’s stipulations for the Ecofootprint Grant and we received a $27,000 grant to be used towards both projects! These two grants covered over 70% of the costs of these large and important land stewardship projects.
Phase 2 Project Details:
In order to prevent storm water from washing out the road and making a straight path to the lake several key components were required.
Key Component #1: Raise the girl’s side of the road approximately 3’. This new high ridge keeps the water from washing across the road. The excavated dirt from the newly created reservoir in the Phase 1 project was used for this purpose.
Key Component #2: Rain Gardens and Overflow. Merely raising the girl’s side of the road would only increase the flow of water towards the kitchen parking lot and into the children’s playground area. To alleviate that from happening two rain gardens were installed – a large one at the curve at the top of the drive between cabins Ruth, Lydia, and the handicap/family bathroom, and a smaller one further down the road between cabin Naomi and the Esther/Deborah cabin. Several purposes a rain garden serves is that when constructed a reservoir is created and special soil and mulch is combined and laid in the newly created reservoir to create a natural filter to the water that is introduced into the rain garden. It is designed to accommodate much of the storm water runoff that comes into it, but to prevent the rain garden from flooding and overflowing during an extended large rain event a culvert pipe located at a vertical midpoint in the rain garden to direct the excess water under and across the road. The larger rain garden overflow pipe is 15” in diameter, and extends underground to within 25’ of the shore by the Holt docks. A heavy saturation of large stones were placed at the outlet to prevent erosion at the exit point. Special rain garden plants were also part of the rain garden design and were planted in the bottoms of the rain gardens. The plants are capable of being completely saturated with water or enduring long dry spells without stress.
Key Component #3: Check Dams. Several check dams were installed along the newly created “ditch” on the girl’s side of the road between the rain gardens and beyond. They were also placed at the outlet of the under-road culvert. A check dam consists of large stones placed to the engineer’s specifications to slow the flow of water as it moves down the hill. A check dam was also placed midpoint between the reservoir pavers and the State land in Phase 1.
So by October of 2017 both Phase 1 and Phase 2 projects have been completed. The Pine Haven Christian Assembly camp board of directors take very seriously the care and protection to this precious parcel of real estate that we have been entrusted to. We view this special place as Holy ground! We’ve installed walking paths, retaining walls, and planted hundreds of trees over the years. We want to be good neighbors to those on Long Lake. We are most grateful to the folks at the Hubbard County Soil & Water Conservation District for their help with project designs and grant assistance. The folks at the Enbridge Energy Corporation have been very generous to us.
The entire process has been spread out over two years and God has placed us with the right people at the right times. Most of all we are most grateful to God and his rich blessing as we strive to continue to make Pine Haven a special place for those that come to this special “thin place” where many over the years have experienced a closeness to God. We know that lives have been and continue to be changed and strengthened at Pine Haven each summer.
Our next step to begin the construction of the new16’x54’ dining hall addition will commence when God’s people provide the necessary funds to do so.
Joe Cachiaras
Pine Haven Christian Assembly Vice Chairman/Property & Long Term Committee Chairman