RAIN GARDENS SAVE WATER IN YOUR LANDSCAPE

The indigenous soil and forests of many regions accumulate, sieve, and gradually release fresh, clean water to streams, wetlands, and estuaries. The varieties of life in marine and fresh water, as well as on land, require clean water to thrive.

As human populations intrude and alter natural settings, native forests and soils are replaced with roads, rooftops and other hard surfaces. When it rains or snows, more water flows from these surfaces than undisturbed areas, carrying oil, fertilizers, pesticides, sediment and other pollutants downstream. In fact, much of the pollution in streams, wetlands and rivers now comes from storm-water (water flowing off developed areas). The added volume of water and associated contaminants from developed land are damaging water resources and harming aquatic life.

One possible solution is a type of landscaping called the rain garden-

WHAT IS A RAIN GARDEN?

A rain garden acts like a native forest by collecting , absorbin , and filtering storm-water runoff from roof tops , driveways, patios, and other areas that don't allow water to soak in. Rain gardens are created as shallow depressions that:

Can be shaped and sized to fit your yard.

Are constructed with soil mixes that allow water to soak in rapidly and support healthy plant growth.

Can be landscaped with a variety of plants to fit the surroundings.

Rain gardens are one of a series of tools in a new approach to managing storm-water called low impact development (LID). Low Impact Development (LID) is an innovative storm-water management approach with a basic principle that is modeled after nature: manage rainfall at the source using uniformly distributed decentralized micro-scale controls.

LID's goal is to mimic a site's predevelopment hydrology by using design techniques that infiltrate , filter , store , evaporate, and detain runoff close to its source. Techniques are based on the premise that storm-water management should not be seen as storm-water disposal.

Rain gardens offer numerous benefits, including:

Sieve oil and grease from driveways, pesticides and fertilizers from lawns, and other pollutants before they reach the storm drain and eventually the waterways.

Decrease flooding on adjacent areas, overflow in sewers, and erosion in creeks by absorbing water from impermeable surfaces.

Provide homes for beneficial insects and birds.

Augment the amount of water that soaks into the earth to recharge local groundwater.

Maintaining the rain garden
Rain gardens need maintenance just like any landscaping, to perform well and look good. However, a well-designed rain garden needs minimum care.

For the first two to three years most plants need deep watering during the dry season to establish healthy root systems. If you have selected the appropriate natives or plants, then the rain garden will need little or no watering after two or three years. However, watering may be necessary during prolonged dry periods even if plants are established. During these periods watch for signs of stress, such as wilting leaves.

 Watering techniques for rain gardens include:

  Soaker hoses: Soaker hoses save water and can be covered with mulch to save even more.

  Sprinklers: Place tuna cans in a few locations around the rain garden and stop watering when there is 1 inch of water in the cans.

Mulching
Mulch prevents erosion, controls weeds, replenishes the organic material in the soil, and improves infiltration. Every year check the mulch layer and, if needed , add shredded or chipped hardwood or softwood to the sides and coarse compost to the bottom to maintain a layer that is about 2-3 inches thick. Mulch can be applied any time of the year, but assuring an adequate mulch layer for the dry summer and rainy winter months is particularly beneficial.

Weeding
Rain gardens will still soak up and filter storm-water even if weeds are present. Soils in rain gardens have good structure, so weeds should be easy to pull by hand, especially in the spring when the soil is moist and the weeds are small.
Dig or pull weeds out by the roots before they go to seed.

Break strong water flow- The area where water flows into your garden can , during strong storms , erode soil, mulch, and plants. A few strategically placed rocks, boulders, or stone dams in this area of strong water flow can break the force and prevent this from happening.
Don't let sediment, soil , sand, or debris flow into your rain garden. It can bury the plants, destroy the absorbency, and ruin all your efforts.

Any rain garden is better than no rain garden. If you don't have a rain garden, runoff from your rooftops, lawns, and driveways will continue, with rain and snow melt, contributing to water pollution rather than curing it, as nature intended. Every little bit that you can keep on your property helps!