No money was set aside for Austin High School Wednesday night at the Cedar River Watershed District meeting.

Students and a teacher from the school requested $10,000 several months ago to install a new rain garden on school grounds. The project is estimated at $20,000 or more, and the school would raise money and seek donations.

Although CRWD has been sharing costs on rain gardens in the district, this project has some uncertainties. Therefore, CRWD board managers postponed a motion to donate money.

Most members said the garden serves educational purposes; it would be incorporated into a class, students would perform groundbreaking and planting, and they could learn about plant identification and stormwater filtering.

CRWD Resource Specialist Justin Hanson proposed the board spend $5,000, then the school could cover $5,000 and submit an application for the additional $10,000 from the state.

Board members agreed the water cleaning benefits and the impact of the rain garden may be minimal. The garden, which will only be 0.16 acres, has a high cost for its size.

“That’s a pretty expensive item,” Hanson said.

Newly appointed board manager, Mike Merten, sees some problems, too. Because CRWD only budgets about $12,000 toward education each year, much of the fund would be used quickly. And Merten thinks donating money to AHS would set a precedent, and other schools would ask for money. The educational draw would be good, some said. But the money simply isn’t there for other schools.

Hanson recapped state and federal government programs that are being used in Mower County — including one – the Clean Water Legacy Act – that would help fund AHS’s project.

CRWD rules, which have been debated in the past months, are still being reviewed by the state, and CRWD Administrator Bev Nordby said she hasn’t heard feedback or any issues from the state board.

One controversial issue about the City’s snow removal came up. Mike Jones, CRWD board manager, commended the city for upkeep near its snow piles. He’s noticed better barriers, silt fences and rolled straw to trap sediment.

The CRWD will receive its reviewed draft rules from the state board next month and will discuss them at next month’s meeting, 7 p.m. May 18 at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center.