More Rain Gardens! Less Water Pollution

What is a rain garden?

A rain garden is a shallow, vegetated landscaping feature that captures excess rainwater and puts it to work. As the rain garden bed is slightly below the level of the yard, the garden acts as a shallow dish that holds the water for a short time so that it can instead soak into the garden soil. Well-designed rain gardens absorb 30% more water than turf lawns and will drain completely within a few days after an average storm.

What are the benefits of a rain garden?

Rain gardens have many benefits. First, it is an attractive addition to any yard. Both you and your neighbors will enjoy its beauty for years to come.

In addition, rain gardens provide environmental benefits by improving water quality and promoting water conservation. Water that runs off hard surfaces, like your roof, and from your yard during rain events flows down the street collecting contaminants such as automobile fluids, yard fertilizers, and pet waste. This adds pollution to your local rivers because storm drain water is not treated before it enters your local rivers. For example, yard waste & fertilizers add excessive amounts of nutrients to rivers. This causes algae to grow and depletes oxygen in the water that fish and other aquatic life depend on. By collecting the excess runoff before it reaches the street, rain gardens reduce the amount of polluted water flowing into storm drains. Research has shown that the intensive installation of rain gardens in neighborhoods can greatly reduce storm water runoff and street flooding. {Continue Reading »}