Rain Gardens
What is a Rain Garden?
Rain gardens serve many important functions. They are specially designed, sunken areas filled with native plants that capture runoff. Rain gardens can help prevent ponding in yards, and intercept pollutants that would otherwise make their way into the storm drain system.
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Picture Source: Rice
Creek Watershed,
Rice Creek Watershed
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When rain water falls on impervious surfaces like parking lots, roofs, and roads, it is unable to soak into the ground. When it flows off these surfaces, it picks up pollutants like fertilizers, pesticides, pet waste, oil and grease and carries them into the storm drain system. Typically, stormwater flows untreated into local waterways, depositing all of these pollutants with it.
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Picture Source: Center for Watershed Protection,
Center for Watershed Protection
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Planting a rain garden in your yard can capture these pollutants before they get into our streams, rivers and lakes.
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