Rain Gardens

A rain garden is a shallow depression that’s planted with native wetland or wet-prairie wildflowers and grasses. It is designed to collect water that runs off the roof (downspout) or is discharged from the sump pump.

Rain gardens collect stormwater runoff from rooftops, driveways, lawns and parking lots and allow it to soak into the ground. Pollutants such as sediment, fertilizer, pesticides and even oil, grease and heavy metals from the roads are trapped by the soil and root systems, allowing clean water to infiltrate the subsoil and recharge the groundwater. Rain gardens also create habitat for wildlife. Below the surface of the garden, a number of processes are occurring that mimic the hydrologic action of a healthy productive forest. The garden acts as a small bio retention cell where storm water is cleaned and reduced in volume once it enters the rain garden. Rain gardens are simply low-lying, vegetated shallow depression that’s planted with native wetland or wet-prairie wildflowers and grasses.