Rain Garden Frequently Asked Questions

Whatisaraingarden? Araingardenisanattractivegardenwithaspecialpurposetoreducetheamountofstormwaterenteringourbeautiful streams,riversandlakes.Araingardenisconstructedasaplacetodirecttherainfromyourroofordrivewayandisland scapedwithplantspeciesnativetoourregion. Whatmakesaraingardendifferentfromanyotherperennialgarden? Araingardenisbowlorsaucershaped,notmoundedorflatlikeotherperennialgardens.Itisnotjustaprettygarden; itisalsodesignedwithdeep,loosesoil,specificallytocollectandabsorbrainthat wouldotherwiserunoffyourproperty,and/ortosolvewetspotproblemswhere waterisalreadycollected. InsteadofusingcultivatedplantsfromEuropeandAsia,araingardenisplanted primarilywithdeeprooted,lowcare,perennialplantsnativetoyourregion,that haveadaptedoverthousandsofyearstoyourlocalweatherandconditions.The deeprootsprovidechannelsintoyoursoilforwatertotravelinto.Thenativeplants providehabitatforlocalbutterfliesandotherwildlife.Thenativeplantsdonot needtobetreatedwithchemicalfertilizers,pesticides,orherbicidesinorderto thrive.Araingardenisabeautifulwaytomakeyourpropertyhealthierforyour familyandcommunity,whilehelpingtoprotectthelakes,rivers,andstreamswhereyoulive.

Whyaraingarden? Stormwatercarriespollutionfromyards,streets,andparkinglotsintothenearestbodyofwater.Onestudyshowedthatup to50%ofthatpollutioncomesfromthingswedoinouryardsandgardens!Bycreatingaraingardenonyourproperty,you canhelpimprovewaterqualityinlocalstreams,rivers,andlakes.Youcanuserainthewaynatureintended,insteadof throwingthisresourceaway.Araingardenisanaturalwayforyoutohelpsolveourstormwaterpollutionproblems,help rechargegroundwater,andprotectourwaterresources. Inaddition,raingardensareattractivelandscapingfeatures.Theyfeaturenativespeciesofplantsthatareadaptedtoyour region,andtheycanbelowmaintenancewhileprovidinghabitatfornativewildlifeandbutterflies. Whyisstormwateraproblem? Wetendtothinkthatlargeindustrialpolluterscausemostwaterpollution,butthisisnotthecase.Wearetherealculprits. TheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA)hasdeterminedthatupto70%ofthepollutioninoursurfacewatersiscarried therebystormwaterrunoff.Somestudiesshowthatabout50%ofthatpollutioncomesfromindividualsandhomeowners, duetoyardcare,yardwaste,andchemicalpollutionfromhouseholdactivities. Whenitrains,waterrunsoffofourroofs,parkinglots,streets,andlawns,insteadofsoak ingintothesoilthewayitdidbeforedevelopment.Thiswater,alongwitheverythingit picksupalongtheway,endsupinstormsewersandditchesthatdischargetostreams, riversandlakes.Saltfromroads,petwaste,lawnnutrients,spilledgas,oilandtheirpol lutantsareallwashedintothelocalwaters. Inadditiontocarryingpollution,thestormwaterrunoffisusuallywarm,causingapulseof warmerwatertoflowdownthestream.Inanaturalsystem,waterentersastream throughaslowandsteadyreleasefromgroundwater.Groundwaterhasafairlycooltem perature,whichallowswatertoholdmoreoxygenandkeepsstreamhabitatstable.Manysensitivecreaturessuchastrout cannotsurviveinastreamwithfluctuatingandwarmertemperatures. Whilegroundwaterreleaseisslowandfairlysteady,stormwaterrunoffoccursallatonce.Thelargevolumesofwarmwater flushingdownastreamcauseerosionandflooding,carrydamformingdebris,andscourthestreambed. Howisaraingardenconstructed? Theycanbesimplejustagreenareaofyouryardwherestormwatergoesorcomplex,involvingexcavatingandre buildingsoil.Theyalsomaybeindustrialstrength,handlinglargevolumesofwaterperiodically,wherelargescalestorm

watermanagementregulationsmustbemet. Willraingardensbreedmosquitoes? No,notifproperlyconstructed.Raingardensaredesignedtoabsorbwater,nottocreateponds.Amosquitocandevelop fromeggtobitingadultin7or8days.Awelldesignedraingardenwithmatureplantswillnothavestandingwaterinit after48hours;itwillallhavesoakedintothegarden. Whatplantscanbeputinaraingarden? Manybeautifulplants,treesandshrubscanbeplantedinaraingarden.Werecommendspeciesnativetoyourregion, butothercultivatednonnativespeciescanbeverybeautiful,too.Michigannativespeciesareadaptedtoourregion, andshouldbelowmaintenanceonceestablished. WherecanIfindaraingardenprojectinmyregion? Ifthereisasimilarprojectinyourarea,youmayfindtheirinformationinourregional directory,oncethisfeatureiscompleted. Whataboutroadsalt? Itisbettertolocatetheraingardenawayfromdirectsaltdischarge.Therearesomesalt tolerantplantsthatyoumightuseiftheonlyplaceyoucanlocatetheraingardenwillbe subjecttosaltsprayandrunoffandfromstreetsandsidewalks. Forlargeparkinglotandstreetapplications,pretreatmentstructuresmaybehelpful,suchasasedimentsettlingarea. Forlargerraingardensforcommercialparkinglots,anunderdrainsystemwouldbebest;thesaltyrunoffisfiltered throughtheraingarden,thencarriedawaybytheunderdrainsystem.Thispreventsgroundwatercontaminationwith chlorides. Doraingardensworkinthewintertime? Becauseplantsaredormant,theiractivityisreduced,buttheraingardenwillstillabsorbwatereveninthewinter.The pondingareaprovidesstorageforacertainamountofrunoffevenifthegroundisfrozen.Raingardensdoworkbestin thesummer,butthatiswhentheyaremostneeded. CanIpilesnowonmyraingarden? Youcanplaceasmallamountofsnowonyourraingarden,butalargeamountmaycompactthesoilsinthegardenor damagetheplants.Aglacieronthegardeninearlyspringmayslowdownthegreeningofyourplants.Itisbettertoplace largeamountsofshoveledsnownexttotheraingarden;asitmelts,itwillflowinandbeabsorbed. Howeffectiveareraingardensforstormwatereducation? Wethinktheyareveryeffective,andpopular,too.Weareconductinganongoingeducationalevaluationprocess,and theresultswillbeavailableontheCityofJeffersonvilleStormWaterwebsite. DoIhavetomulchmyraingarden? Organicmulchisrecommendedforformalraingardendesigns.Mulchkeepsthegardenmoistandabletoabsorbrain, makesthegardenlooktidy,anddiscouragesweeds.Anapplicationofhardwoodmulchwilllookgood,andcompost mulcheswillenrichthesoil.Largeraingardensorbioretentionsystemsthatareplantedfromseedarenotmulched. Arethereraingardenselsewhere? Theremaybearaingardennearyou.TheCityjustinstalledtwonewraingardensinPreservationParkonMarketStreet (nearPearlStreet)indowntownJeffersonville.Checkourwebsiteformorelocationsasnewraingardensareinstalled. Whatisthehistoryofraingardens? Raingardensareaformofthebioretentionpondfirstdevelopedin1990. Formoreinformationonraingardensandhowyoucanbuildoneinyourownyard,visitourwebsiteat http://www.cityofjeff.net/eng/StormWaterMain.htmorcall812/2803818.