Did you see the article on rain gardens in the August issue of This Old House magazine? Rain gardens? They are shallow depressions in the soil, filled with amended soils and compost, and planted with grasses, flowering bushes, flowers, and/or trees, that absorbs stormwater runoff from the house, driveway, and patio. The benefit of rain gardens is that they keep stormwater out of the stormdrain system….and prevents pollutants and large volumes of stormwater from reaching our local creeks. Stormwater degrades aquatic habitat because it acts like a pressure washer on the banks. On top of that, it frequently transports toxic material such as pesticides to creeks, killing or harming many animals that live in or depend on the creek. Raingardens are one tool in the creek friendly landscaping toolkit.
See see dozens of pictures of raingardens and the plants that flourish in them, visit the website of This Old House magazine, but here is a sample:
The LCWC has been working with the City of Elk Grove to promote the use of raingardens in the City. As part of our work on the Storm Drain Master Plan (SDMP), we promoted the use of raingardens and other low impact development techniques to manage stormwater in an environmentally friendly manner. The City incorporated many of these suggestions into the current draft SDMP. In fact, they are currently constructing a Rain Garden Park, immediately adjacent to City Hall and the Police Department’s headquarters. It is slated for completion in the fall, 2011. It will contain a raingarden and other examples of creek friendly management of stormwater. We will post updates on our website.