Another issue attributed to the warming climate is stronger storm surge and increased storm water velocity during rain events that can be damaging to habitat and water quality . To address this , Mount Auburn has incorporated solutions such as a rain garden to slow down storm water discharge , capture sediment , and protect habitat before the water enters the pond .
Figure 2 – Newly installed rain garden at Willow Pond , designed to address a warming climate that contributes to stronger storm surges and increased storm water velocity during rain events .
The three ponds were dredged during the late 1990s and early 2000s . Dredging improves overall pond health and water quality by removing accumulated organic material and increasing water depth . Dredging will be an appropriate action to undertake again in the next decade or two . It is on the long-term list for potential cemetery actions . In the meantime , expanding emergent zones within the ponds , creating additional rain gardens outside of the ponds and trialing floating islands are all efforts that can be implemented to improve water quality and protect habitat . All the ponds are wide open at the surface . This limits cover for aquatic species and reduces the ponds ’ ability to maintain natural system-based water quality . Algae species are present in every pond at nonharmful levels . Conditions are monitored throughout the hot , dry summers to ensure that dangerous algal blooms do not occur that may potentially remove much of the available oxygen from the water column and negatively impact wildlife , particularly fish . Potentially dangerous cyanobacteria blooms are also monitored closely . A maintenance plan is in place to remove sediment , manually pull invasive plants and document the physical integrity of each water body , as well as habitat health . Finally , Mount Auburn collects storm water samples from culverts at each pond annually for water quality analysis and reporting .
Water Consumption Mount Auburn Cemetery rests atop an underground aquifer . This non-potable water provides all the irrigation water for the plant collections and is recharged through annual precipitation . The underground irrigation infrastructure is quite old and breaks and leaks are common . Significant investment to modernize the irrigation infrastructure will be unavoidable in-order to adequately maintain the plant collections of the cemetery in the future . Mount Auburn has made irrigation improvements that have helped to conserve water throughout the cemetery , such as utilizing smarter sprinkler technology , implementing irrigation timing schedules and choosing the right
Mount Auburn Cemetery | Climate Action & Sustainability Plan 45