by April Scheinoha
Reporter
The late Al Gustafson would have been embarrassed by the amount of attention given to him Thursday, Aug. 20. On that day, a rain garden was dedicated in his memory at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls.
“It’s quite an honor,” said his wife, Polly. She noted that he never liked to be the center of attention.
The Al Gustafson Memorial Rain Garden was completed in front of the arena in 2014. “This rain garden has been a great addition to this facility as well as to the city as a whole,” said Parks and Recreation Director Joe Amundson.
The $152,000 project was a cooperative effort between the Pennington Soil and Water Conservation District, city of Thief River Falls, Red Lake Watershed District and the Friends of Al Gustafson. The Pennington SWCD secured a $75,000 Clean Water, Land and Legacy Grant for the project.
Gustafson was a devoted conservationist and hockey enthusiast. Gustafson, 63, died Feb. 25, 2012, of esophageal cancer. He had worked in conservation for 42 years, the last 12 years as area conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Gustafson grew up playing hockey and continued playing Oldtimers Hockey until his death. He also served as a hockey referee.
Former NRCS Supervisor Glen Kajewski said Gustafson had a passion for plant materials, and a passion for working with farmers and others. He also referred to Gustafson’s professionalism, noting that Gustafson always took the high road – no matter how ornery customers could be. Kajewski added that Gustafson followed a motto of keeping every raindrop as close to where it falls and with the least amount of damage possible.
The rain garden was created with that motto in mind. It collects up to one inch of water for 24 to 48 hours, said Bryan Malone, Pennington SWCD manager. The water is then released slowly from the draintile to the storm sewer. The plants disguise depressions that collect the water. A blue portion of concrete in front of the arena represents how water flows through the draintile underneath the sidewalk to the storm sewer.
As part of the project, one-third of the concrete slab was replaced in front of the arena. Amundson said the back of the slab was raised in order to decrease the potential for ice to form in the wintertime.
Two signs have been erected at the rain garden. Featuring information about Gustafson, one sign describes how the rain garden works. The other details the types of vegetation visible at the rain garden. A total of 1,000 plants are located there. Bailey Devine worked on the signs as part of her internship at the Pennington SWCD last summer.
Plans for the rain garden began in 2010. Former REA Events Coordinator Dale Wennberg recalled that rain would be up to the second or third step of the arena during downpours. Vehicles would stall on Brooks Avenue due to the amount of rain collecting there.
Around that time, the Pennington SWCD was holding its annual dinner at REA. Seeing the sad state of the grass in front of the building, Malone and Wade Robinson asked Wennberg about installing a rain garden there. “I said, ‘Great idea. What’s a rain garden?’” Wennberg recalled.
One morning that same year, Gustafson told Wennberg about his diagnosis. Gustafson had been looking forward to retirement and now he was in a fight for his life.
Plans began to move forward for the rain garden. After the Thief River Falls City Council expressed interest in providing matching funds toward the proposed grant, Robinson documented the flooding problems. Malone said Robinson lived on the edge, climbing onto the roof with Wennberg to see how to rectify the flooding issues. Malone also provided assistance.
Initial plans were to place the rain garden on the east side of Brooks Avenue. However, there were too many utility lines underneath that side of the street. Some parking spaces would also have to be eliminated.
In 2011, the Pennington SWCD received the grant. However, bids were 50 percent higher than the engineer had estimated. Malone surmised it was due to the contractors’ unfamiliarity with rain gardens. Additional funding would be needed.
The funds were soon in hand. Malone said the Red Lake Watershed District contributed $20,000. Wennberg approached the Thief River Falls Public Safety/Parks and Recreation Committee about raising funds for the memorial garden and naming it in Gustafson’s memory. The committee and later the Thief River Falls City Council agreed. Friends of Al Gustafson provided $12,000 in donations. The remaining funds and in-kind services were provided by the city.
“A big thank you to all of you who have contributed to this large project,” Malone said.
In 2013, the plans were finished. Midwest Seeding began construction on the rain garden on May 19, 2014. Malone recalled the engineer telling him that it would take two weeks to complete the rain garden. It took a little longer. Mother Nature had other plans.
The sod was installed before the 2014 Pennington County Fair. The following week – on a Tuesday – Thief River Falls was hit with 4.25 inches of rain in about an hour. The rain garden hadn’t been finished.
Draintiles were blown out of the ground. Sod and wood chips were two blocks away at the American Legion Club. That was a fitting location, Wennberg said. Gustafson and his fellow Oldtimers Hockey players liked to go the Legion or, as they called it, “the office” after practices.
Everything was retrieved. The plantings were finished by July 30, 2014. Final project details were finished by the end of that September.
Amundson has already noticed the impact of the rain garden. “The street flooding is substantially less,” he said.
The partners are seeing other benefits of the rain garden. Amundson said efforts are under way to create an environmental working lab for schools. Students would then be able to learn about how the rain garden works.
The rain garden also has an aesthetic value. Numerous senior pictures have been taken at the rain garden.