About: Rain gardens are bowl-shaped gardens designed to collect and filter water from your roof, driveway, or patio. Rain gardens can be shaped and sized to fit your yard, are filled with a rich layer of mulch and compost to help water soak in, and are landscaped with a variety of plants that fit your yard, sun, and soil.
A rain garden will reduce water pollution, replenish the groundwater supply and provide a self-irrigating landscape. By slowing down rainwater runoff and filtering pollution, it helps protect our local creeks and reduces flooding in our neighborhoods. It also provides great habitat for birds and butterflies.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Your property must be currently connected to the City stormwater drainage system.
- The rain garden must collect runoff from a minimum of 400 square feet of impervious surface area (800 sf for commercial, institutional, and industrial properties) being disconnected from the stormwater system.
- All other technical project requirements are listed in the Project Approval (LINK) packet.
Considerations:
- Your property needs a fairly level yard with a slope less than 5%
- Rain gardens need to be located at least 10 feet away from your foundation and at least 50 feet away from steep slopes.
- Rain gardens need well-draining soil. An soil drainage test will determine if a rain garden is right for your property.
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