On Monday, Rochester Public Works finished installing the new Stormwater Interpretive Trail signs around Silver Lake. The signs serve a dual purpose, connecting people's love of the water and outdoors with information about the history, water connections and stormwater management practices surrounding Silver Lake.
"Everyone loves our waters in Rochester and don't realize how different activities and practices on our landscape impact the water," said Megan Duffey Moeller, the stormwater educator at Rochester Public Works.
Primarily a project of Public Works, the Rochester Parks and Recreation Department also helped with the placement of the signs, and the History Center of Olmsted County contributed photos. There are 12 signs total, with each costing $853. The signs are located around Silver Lake and each covers a different topic, ranging from Canada geese to native plant management.
"Some were site specific, others were just general messages we'd like to get out about the connections between our storm drains and our waterways," Duffey Moeller said.
Though the signs are new, people have already taken notice. Penny Summer, a Rochester resident and frequent park visitor, was with her granddaughter Sloane at Silver Lake when the signs were being installed. "They're very nice," she said. "They make the park more user-friendly."
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Duffey Moeller agrees. "We're proud of how they turned out," she said.
The signs for Silver Lake have been in the works since 2013 and there is hope for expansion. There are already interpretive signs at Cascade Meadow Wetlands & Environmental Science Center, and Duffey Moeller hopes to put in a set of signs at Quarry Hill Park, though those are still in the "idea phase." The goal is "to show how it's all related," and "to bring some of the benefits (of stormwater management and practices) to the forefront of public minds," she said.
