NAHANT — The Johnson Elementary School is facing erosion issues with the playground area due to an increasing rainfall intensity, according to Principal Kevin Andrews.
Andrews said that while the damage is not yet extreme, the issue’s significance has been increasing over time. He added that he’s actively working to seek solutions to the problem.
“We’re having an increase in these heavy, heavy rains; it rains like gallons,” Andrews said. “What we’re seeing is new erosion on the playground. I wouldn’t say it’s too significant, but it has resulted in a gully that we had to back-fill with stone.”
He said the erosion has also reached a point where a “little river” has begun flowing from the playground’s edge into the nearby grass. Andrews also explained that the rainfall has continued to wash away the woodchips that line the playground area, exacerbating the issue.
Andrews noted he had contacted the Department of Public Works Director Zach Taylor to find ways to solve the problem. “I’ve been in touch with Zach, who’s been fantastic; he’s been really helpful in giving us ideas on how to mitigate the issue,” he said.
Andrews has also been in consultation with Salem Sound Coastwatch, a non-profit organization that works with government agencies, businesses and other non-profits through municipal partnering, scientific investigation, education and stewardship, according to its mission statement online.
“We haven’t tested the soil to see if it’s safe to even dig. It might be straight lead, but the water seems to go down nicely. Plus, with nearby trees, it might be hard to put a rain garden there,” he said.
He said the hope is that, with the help of students, the school will test the soil to see what next steps should be taken. “We’re hoping to do a soil evaluation with the kids, and we have a class where the students dig into the ground. It’s a part of a second-grade curriculum where they have to find a problem and identify a solution,” Andrews said.
