¿Qué pasa ? Rain Gardens

A rain garden is an attractive, sunken landscape bed constructed of native plants to capture stormwater from roofs, pavements, sidewalks and other impervious surfaces. While it is designed to  collect stormwater runoff...at first glance a rain garden may appear to be an informal landscaped habitat for birds and butterflies or a formal border or entry feature. What makes it a rain garden is in how it gets its water and what happens to that water once it arrives in the garden. 

A rain garden is a small bioretention basin - bio referring to the use of plants and retention because stormwater is temporarily stored before it soaks into the ground -  where stormwater is filtered and absorbed. “Rather than discharging pollutants directly into waters, the rain garden serves as a natural filter that temporarily stores the runoff, filters it and then releases it over a period of time. This reduces the amount of pollutants eventually entering our waterways. Rain gardens are also a great way to slow down the speed of rainwater; lessening the impact stormwater runoff has on eroding the banks of our lakes.

Capturing clean rainwater from your roof, driveway and sidewalks, and diverting it into a great looking rain garden will filter contaminants and keep unclean water from going down the sewer system. And you’ll have a great looking garden that puts water in its place!”

Columbia residents need to apply to their village Resident Architectural Committee for rain garden approval. Once the application is approved, the 25% resident share is paid to CA and the maintenance agreement signed, the installation will be scheduled”.

For more information about how you can be a part of the Rain Garden Cost Share Program: http://www.columbiaassociation.org/home/showdocument?id=2825

*Columbia Association Watershed Management