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Rain, Rain, Infiltrate Away
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Rain Gardens
If water ponds on your property when it rains, you may want to consider adding a rain garden to your landscape. Rain gardens not only look attractive, but they also collect runoff from impervious areas such as roofs or driveways. The soil and plant roots in a well-designed rain garden soak up excess stormwater and help it infiltrate directly into the ground. When roof and driveway runoff is not allowed to soak into the ground, it ends up in storm drains, rivers, and lakes, carrying pollutants with it. A rain garden functions as a bioretention system, not only alleviating ponding, but also recharging the groundwater and filtering nutrients and other pollutants from runoff. Rain gardens can be designed to provide backyard habitat for birds and wildlife. |
 Rain Garden http://www.raingardens.org |
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Rain gardens are best constructed by taking advantage of existing topography at the site, and should be located in a low area where water naturally tends to collect. Alternatively, the site can be graded or drainage swales can be constructed to divert stormwater runoff to the garden. A rain garden can be squeezed into almost any shape, but the design should take into account the size of the drainage area and the microclimate (light, temperature and wind) of the area. For more information on rain garden sizing, design, plant selection, and maintenance visit http://www.raingardens.org.
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Constructed Stormwater Wetlands and other Stormwater BMPs
For larger sites with greater amounts of stormwater runoff, stormwater best management practices (BMPs) such as constructed wetlands can be installed or retrofitted to treat and infiltrate stormwater. Constructed stormwater wetlands are designed wetland systems that temporarily store stormwater runoff in shallow pools planted with wetland vegetation. Like rain gardens (bioretention systems) the purpose of a constructed stormwater wetland is to allow the particulate pollutants in stormwater runoff to settle, allow for the biological uptake of pollutants by wetland plants, and to lower peak discharges for downstream flood control. |
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Constructed stormwater wetlands have relatively low maintenance costs once the site is established as a miniature self-contained ecosystem. They provide high pollutant removal efficiency as well as providing aesthetic and recreational benefits and wildlife habitat. F. X. Browne, Inc. converted its typical detention basin to a naturalized pond-wetland in 2003. The constructed wetland located at the F. X. Browne, Inc. headquarters in Lansdale, PA treats runoff from our parking lot. To view a series of before and after photos documenting the construction of the stormwater wetland, visit constructed wetland case studies page. Other stormwater management BMPs include sand filters, water quality swales, wet ponds, extended detention basins, and infiltration trenches. Each of these innovative stormwater BMPs is designed to infiltrate stormwater into the ground and treat pollutants from stormwater runoff using native plants and soil. For more information on stormwater management, visit the F. X. Browne, Inc. web site, or contact us at info@fxbrowne.com. |
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Rain Barrels
If your problem is not enough rain, you may want to consider installing a rain barrel under your roof downspouts. Rain barrels collect runoff from impervious roof areas and store it for later use. Most rain barrels have a spout or tube at the bottom so water can be drained for use in watering lawns or gardens. They can be installed on either commercial or residential structures. The major advantages to rain barrel systems are their low cost, easy maintenance, and few site constraints. They can be installed on any building that has gutters and downspouts for conveying water from the rooftop into the rain barrel. The barrels can be purchased from gardening centers for approximately $100, or self-constructed out of used storage barrels, provided they were not used to store hazardous materials. Visit http://www.dnr.state.md.us/ed/rainbarrel.html for instructions on making your own rain barrel. |
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Native Planting Whether you have a dearth or a plethora of rain, planting native species around your yard or in a stormwater BMP will benefit the environment and provide a more aesthetically pleasing landscape. Native plants are better suited to the individual site conditions and therefore are more likely to survive without the use of excess fertilizer, pesticides, or water. Paying attention to the plant hardiness zone when selecting plants is important for long-term plant survival. Native plants tend to be more disease-resistant and less susceptible to wildlife damage. For example, if a gardener living in the Pocono mountains wanted to plant a tropical bird-of-paradise, they would have to go to great lengths to fertilize and water the plant, and it would probably die of cold come winter. That same gardener, however, could grow a beautiful bed of milkweed, cardinal flower, joe-pye weed, and goldenrod, and not have to do much more than mulch and maybe add a little compost in the spring. |
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The most important thing to keep in mind when considering plants for your garden is to avoid planting invasive species. Even some nurseries and wholesalers sell invasive ornamentals such as oriental bittersweet, so do your homework before going to the garden center. If you notice an invasive plant growing in your yard, remove it immediately, taking care to remove all roots and plant parts, and dispose of the plant in the garbage or by burning. For more information on invasive plant species, and species-specific eradication recommendations, visit the federal invasive species gateway web site at http://www.invasivespecies.gov/. For native plant information, a searchable database of native plant species, and a list of native plant suppliers, visit the Native Plant Information Network at http://www.wildflower2.org/index.html.
Next Newsletter: Hydroseeding: the most bang for your buck
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