Alcona Students Take the Lead on Water Quality in Harrisville

Students of Alcona Community School plant a rain garden at Harrisville Harbor in May. The project, designed to capture and filter stormwater runoff, is supported in part by the Lake Huron Forever initiative.

A rain garden at Harrisville Harbor is helping protect the water quality of Lake Huron while serving as a teaching tool for students, a showpiece for stormwater management and a testament to community-driven conservation.

Designed and installed in May by students of Alcona Community School, the garden will intercept thousands of gallons of stormwater annually, filtering out pollutants before they have a chance to reach Lake Huron. Its 450 native plants will also serve as a centerpiece for the community harbor.

Students led the project from start to finish as part of Kathryn Luce's Environmental Science class.

Instructor Kathryn Luce

“I can tell they enjoy the hands-on aspects of what they’re studying,” Luce said. “This is a positive, real world experience for my class.”

This project was supported in part by a $5,000 grant from the Lake Huron Forever Partners Program, which promotes community engagement, education initiatives and on-the-ground projects that protect Lake Huron. It was one of four grants awarded in Michigan earlier in 2023.

Native plants wait their turn to be installed into the rain garden at Harrisville Harbor.

Funding for the Michigan projects was made possible by Consumers Energy Foundation and their Planet Award program. Bay Area Community Foundation received funding support from this program in 2021 to advance the goals and vision of Lake Huron Forever in Michigan communities.