The UC Master Gardeners collaborated with Cal Poly’s student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) to improve the drainage at the Garden of the Seven Sisters demonstration garden in San Luis Obispo. Twenty student members contributed to this project, the majority being civil engineering majors.
The primary goal was to mitigate the amount of washout present in the garden. The group designed a drainage system aimed at reducing the amount of water flowing along the ground surface by redirecting it into an underground system. This will mitigate future erosion and keep the garden pathway smooth for volunteers and visitors.
To begin, students visited the garden and communicated with UC Master Gardener volunteers to identify the most prevalent drainage issues in the garden. They collected data on-site to compile the information needed for a wholistic drainage design, which included measurements of slopes, areas, and determination of water flow paths.
Discussion began early this year and by March, the students had prepared and submitted a thorough 12-page report outlining their findings and recommendations. They presented information to Master Gardeners and answered questions. Then, work began in May to install a trench drain. Most of the work was done over the course of one weekend and the entire project was completed in about one week’s time.
The idea for this project was developed by current Master Gardener volunteer and Cal Poly Engineering professor, Gregg Fiegel. Gregg saw the need in the garden and recognized the opportunity to educate student members on proper design methodology and provided experience in site investigation, hydrology calculations, report writing, and help the garden by improving the drainage.
The students were bright and hard-working, and we are grateful for the collaboration and for the improvements in the garden!
