Rain Gardens for Clean Streams

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Rain Gardens for Clean Streams
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Did you know?

• Up to 70 of pollution in streams,
• rivers and lakes comes from storm water
  runoff.

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Planting a Rain Garden

• reduces the amount of storm water entering storm
  drains
• helps reduce the amount of flooding by keeping
  water contained so that it can drain slowly over
  a period of time
• allows soil to filter out pollutants and reduce
  the amount of nonpoint source pollution entering
  our streams

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Nonpoint Source Pollution (NPS) is
caused by many reasons.
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• Excess fertilizers, herbicides, and
  insecticides from agricultural lands and
  residential areas

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• Oil, grease, and toxic chemicals
• from
• urban runoff and energy
• production

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• Sediment from improperly managed
• construction sites,
• crop and forest lands,
• and eroding stream banks

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Salt from irrigation practices and acid drainage
from abandoned mines
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• Bacteria and nutrients from livestock,
• pet wastes,
• and
• faulty septic systems

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• Rain and snow melt pick up these natural and
  human-made pollutants, finally depositing them
  into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters, and
  even our underground sources of drinking water

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Impervious surfaces (ones that do not allow water
to percolate or drain through soil such as
buildings, parking lots, etc) contribute runoff
water and increase the amount of pollutants in
runoff.

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Rain Garden

• A garden designed specifically to improve water
  quality.

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Rain Gardens allow approximately 30 more water
to soak into the ground.
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Is a rain garden hard to install ?

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Rain Garden Installation Before
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During
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During
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After planting
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After one season
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• Determine the location
• Near the house to catch only roof run off or out
  on the lawn to catch water from the lawn and roof

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Location

• A gentle slope (no more than 10)
• Remember that the garden needs to be dug into a
  bowl shape and the greater the slope the deeper
  the bowl that will need to be created
• At least 10 feet from your foundation
• Near a downspout or where water naturally drains
• Away from areas where water already ponds as
  there will be little infiltration in this area

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Planning stage

• Estimate the area which will drain into your
  garden (roof and/or lawn)
• Determine the type of soil (sand or clay)
• Gardens planted in sandy soil should be 20-30
  the size of the drain area
• Gardens planted in clay soil should be
• 55-60 of the drain area

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Example

• Dylans house is 50 feet by 40 feet so the roof
  area is 2000 sq ft. (50 x 40 2000)
• He has two downspouts and will plant a rain
  garden in the back yard which will collect water
  from approximately half of the roof area or 1000
  sq ft.
• His soil is mostly clay so the size of the rain
  garden should be approximately 550 sq ft. (1000 x
  .55 550)

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• Remember that a rain garden of any size will help
  to control storm water runoff

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Building the Rain Garden

• Be sure you check with your utility company
  before attempting to dig in your yard.
• Lay out the garden with a garden hose or
  landscapers spray paint.
• Start digging on the uphill side of the garden
• Remember that you will be moving soil from the
  uphill to the downhill side of the garden to
  create a berm and the bowl shape of the rain
  garden

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Creating the berm

• The berm will be the highest on the downhill side
  of the rain garden
• The berm will gradually decrease as you go up the
  sides of the rain garden
• After shaping the berm be sure to stomp it down
  so that it is well compacted
• Cover the berm with compost/mulch or plant grass
  or a dry tolerant native plant to control erosion
  on the berm

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Planting the garden

• Consider the height, color, moisture tolerance
  and bloom time of plant material
• Plant in groups of 3, 5 or 7 of the same variety
• Add rocks, boulders or other ornamental features
  to add interest
• Water at least once a week until plants are
  established

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Maintaining the garden

• Weed out any invasive or non native plants until
  natives are established
• Stems and seed heads can be left to stand for
  winter interest and to attract birds and other
  wildlife to the garden
• As spring approaches cut back all standing growth
  and compost or discard
• Occasionally the plants should be divided

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Municipal Site
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During
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After
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During and after
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During and after
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Before and After
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Why plant a rain garden ?

• To prevent flooding and excess storm water damage
• To limit the amount of erosion and cut down on
  sediment entering our waterways
• To filter out and limit the amount of pollutants
  reaching our waterways
• To provide habitat for wildlife

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Rain Gardens for Clean Streams
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Financial and other support for this project is
provided by the Pennsylvania Association of
Conservation Districts, Inc. through a grant with
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys
Section 319 Program. 
The mission of the Bucks County Conservation
District is to provide for the wise use,
management and development of the countys soil,
water and related natural resources. This is
accomplished with the cooperation of public
agencies, private groups and individuals
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For more information

• Mary Ellen Noonan
• Environmental Educator
• Bucks County Conservation District
• 1456 Ferry Road, Suite 704
• Doylestown, PA 18901
• 215.345.7577
• www.bucksccd.org