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Watershed News – Education Projects
Rain Gardens Rain Gardens help to improve local
water quality and allow rain and snowmelt to seep naturally into the
ground. This helps recharge our
groundwater supply, and reduces the amount of stormwater entering our storm
sewer systems. Rain gardens are designed with a dip
at the center to collect rain and snow melt, and are usually placed at the end
of downspouts or swales, or adjacent to hard surfaces such as driveways or
roads. The gardens are planted with
native vegetation (flowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees) that is tolerant of
alternating wet and dry conditions.
Rain gardens not only capture, use,
and treat rainwater and snowmelt, they help you reduce
the amount of turf on your lawn.
Turf lawns create a harder surface which does not absorb water as
readily as garden areas, and require maintenance, chemical treatments and extra
water to look uniform. Yards that feature native plants, grasses and shrubs are
much easier to maintain. Curb-side Rain Gardens A popular and effective location for
rain gardens is along the curb at the edge of a lawn or driveway. However, oftentimes, sediment builds up
behind the curb, limiting the inflow into these rain gardens. The Shingle Creek/West Mississippi
Watershed Management Commissions have created detail sheets to assist
cities/property owners in designing and preparing a site for a successful
curb-side rain garden. Rain garden and rock infiltration sump plan A list of recommended plants and rain garden
maintenance requirements can also be viewed here. Rain gardens are growing in
popularity in Minnesota. For more
information about rain gardens, visit these websites: www.bluethumb.org/raingardens/ If you have planted a rain garden,
we’d like to know. Drop us a
line (with pictures!) and tell us your story at sarah@jass.biz.
Good luck and happy planting! |
Shingle Creek Watershed Management Commission
3235 Fernbrook Lane ▪ Plymouth, MN 55447
(763) 553-1144 ▪ Fax (763) 553-9326
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