Silva Creek Botanical Gardens

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Virginia St. and State St. Storm runoff that used to contribute to flooding and erosion problems is now helping to turn an abandoned city maintenance yard into a neighborhood park. Silva Creek Botanical Gardens is a one-acre city property where Aldo Leopold High School students built a water harvesting diversion system of earth basins and raised path spreaders that feature a passive flow limiter. During summer monsoon rain storms, street runoff water that used to go directly from this 75-acre urban watershed into the Big Ditch now irrigates a variety of native and food plants.