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.

 

Rain gardens are growing in popularity in Minnesota.  For a look at how various cities and individuals in the Metro area are designing and using rain gardens visit these websites:

 

City of Maplewood

http://www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/  Click on Public Works, Welcome to Maplewood Stormwater Management

 

City of Burnsville

http://www.landandwater.com/features/vol48no5/vol48no5_2.html

 

Friends of Bassett Creek

http://www.mninter.net/~stack/rain/

 

Minnesota DNR

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/volunteer/mayjun04/raingardens.html

 

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Stormwater Plant Manual

http://www.pca.state.mn.us/publications/manuals/stormwaterplants.html

 

 

If you do plant 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!