Rain Garden Workshop Rain Garden Workshop UNL Extension Stormwater Work Group UNL Extension Stormwater Work Group City of Lincoln Watershed Management City of Lincoln Watershed Management February 17, 2009 February 17, 2009
Overview Overview � Why rain gardens? Why rain gardens? � � Definitions Definitions � � Basics Basics � � Design Design � � Construction Construction � � Planting Planting http://www.uvm.edu/~ran/ran/toolbox/images/raingarden04.jpg � � Maintenance Maintenance �
Why? Why? � Water issues Water issues � � Quantity (too little and too much ) Quantity (too little and too much ) � � Quality (contaminants and temperature) Quality (contaminants and temperature) � � Clean Water Act Clean Water Act � � Water conservation & protection start at Water conservation & protection start at � home home � Be sustainable. Be Be sustainable. Be ‘ ‘green green’ ’. . � � We all live in a watershed and our We all live in a watershed and our � everyday actions affect the water in our everyday actions affect the water in our watersheds and downstream watersheds watersheds and downstream watersheds Photo: University of Nebraska - - Kearney Platte River Page Kearney Platte River Page Photo: University of Nebraska
We All Live in a Watershed We All Live in a Watershed Graphic: Arkansas Watershed Advisory Group
� Run Run- -off pollution (nonpoint off pollution (nonpoint � source pollution) is considered source pollution) is considered to be one of the leading causes to be one of the leading causes of water pollution today of water pollution today
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/green/pubs/asla-water.pdf
View of Stormwater Changing… ….. .. View of Stormwater Changing � Old paradigm Old paradigm – – get rid of it get rid of it � � New paradigm New paradigm – – capture & infiltrate capture & infiltrate � � Bioretention (Green Infrastructure) Bioretention (Green Infrastructure) � � Rain gardens Rain gardens* * � � Rain barrels, cisterns, rain chains Rain barrels, cisterns, rain chains � � Replace impervious surfaces with pervious Replace impervious surfaces with pervious � � Bioswales, bioretention cells Bioswales, bioretention cells � � Infiltration trenches and stormwater planters Infiltration trenches and stormwater planters � � Green roofs/living walls Green roofs/living walls �
Green Green Infrastructure/Technologies Infrastructure/Technologies � Wet ponds and extended dry ponds Wet ponds and extended dry ponds � � Wetlands Wetlands � � Bioretention cell (Bioswale) Bioretention cell (Bioswale) � � Grass swales Grass swales � � Filter strips and flow spreaders Filter strips and flow spreaders � � Sand filters Sand filters � � Porous/pervious pavement Porous/pervious pavement � � Rain gardens Rain gardens � � Rain barrels Rain barrels From: White White Paper Paper – – Green Green From: � Solutions for the City of Solutions for the City of � Green roofs Green roofs � Omaha (August 2007) Omaha (August 2007)
Wet Ponds/Extended Dry Ponds Wet Ponds/Extended Dry Ponds National Park Service - Midwest Regional Headquarters Omaha, NE
Bass Pro Shop Council Bluffs, IA Wetlands Wetlands
Bioretention Basins Bioretention Basins Under the Sink Household Chemical Disposal Facility Omaha, NE Carter lake Carter Lake, IA
Grass/Vegetated Swales Grass/Vegetated Swales Prairie Crossing Grayslake, IL Bass Pro Shop Council Bluffs, IA
Filter Strips and Flow (Level) Filter Strips and Flow (Level) Spreaders Spreaders Under the Sink Household Chemical Disposal Facility Omaha, NE http://outreach.engineering.uga.edu/meetings/stormwaterbmp-1/LevelSpreadersOverview.pdf
Sand Filters Sand Filters Arbor Day Farm Nebraska City, NE
Sand Filters (cont.) Sand Filters (cont.)
Permeable Pavement Permeable Pavement
Pervious concrete
Rain Garden Native Landscaping Rain gardens are native, perennial gardens Native plants have tremendous root strategically located to capture runoff from structures that build soil quality and impervious surfaces. Rain gardens increase organic matter content to increase aesthetic value, absorb water, facilitate infiltration reduce runoff, protect water quality, and prevent flooding. Pervious Paving Pervious paving surfaces Bioswale may include permeable- Bioswales slowly paver blocks, porous convey water to Bioretention Cell Level Spreader concrete, or porous asphalt. storm sewer inlets Bioretention cells are shallow, Level spreaders dissipate They provide the support of landscaped depressions that or surface waters water velocity and prevent traditional parking surfaces, and filter the “first can handle large volumes of erosion by spreading water but they allow a significant water. They are well-suited for flush” of runoff. flows over a wide area, amount of annual commercial, institutional, or rather than releasing them precipitation to be residential settings. from a point source infiltrated. Bioretention cells have an discharge, such as a pipe. engineered base to offset compacted soil conditions. Adapted from http://www.ia.nrcs.usda.gov/news/brochures/LID.html
Rain Gardens - - Definition Definition Rain Gardens � Landscaped areas typically planted to Landscaped areas typically planted to � native/adapted perennials and grasses native/adapted perennials and grasses � Located and designed to capture, then soak Located and designed to capture, then soak � in/filter rain water; mainly from impervious in/filter rain water; mainly from impervious surfaces such as roofs and driveways surfaces such as roofs and driveways Loses rain water Loses rain water Uses rain water Uses rain water
Rain gardens fill with a few inches of water, Rain gardens fill with a few inches of water, then the water slowly infiltrates into soil then the water slowly infiltrates into soil rather than all of it running off the property rather than all of it running off the property 48 Rainwater will disappear within 48 Rainwater will disappear within hours from properly sited, designed hours from properly sited, designed and built rain gardens; and built rain gardens; ideally, water will infiltrate in ideally, water will infiltrate in 24 (or 12) hours 24 (or 12) hours
Why Native Plants? Why Native Plants? 16 feet http://www.marc.org/environment/Water/images/roots_diagram.gif
20 Feet Why Native Plants? Why Native Plants?
Compared to a conventional lawn, rain Compared to a conventional lawn, rain gardens allow about 30% more water gardens allow about 30% more water to soak into the ground* to soak into the ground* *University of Wisconsin Extension
………on the other hand on the other hand… …. . ……… Turf Turf + berm Native plants Native plants + berm Rain Garden Research Scenarios (Univ. of Wisconsin)
………on the other hand on the other hand… …. . ……… “After one year of data collection, both bermed treatments significantly reduced the amount of runoff and increased the amount of leachate when compared to both unbermed treatments. The unbermed native mixture treatments produced over two times more runoff than did the unbermed Kentucky bluegrass treatments. Water quality and use were similar for turf and native plants. These results indicate that the presence of a berm appears to be the major determining factor behind rain garden effectiveness, regardless of vegetation type.” Jacob Schneider, John Stier, and Doug Soldat, University of Madison- Wisconsin – originally published in Golf Course Management – March 2008.
Rain Gardens Are Not… ….. .. Rain Gardens Are Not � Ponds, wetlands or bogs Ponds, wetlands or bogs � � Rain soaks in less than 48 hours Rain soaks in less than 48 hours � � Mosquito breeding grounds Mosquito breeding grounds � � 7 to 12 days of standing water needed to 7 to 12 days of standing water needed to � hatch eggs hatch eggs � High maintenance High maintenance � � About the same as any landscape bed About the same as any landscape bed � � Depends on size, location, plant choices, etc. Depends on size, location, plant choices, etc. � � NO MAINTENANCE NO MAINTENANCE � � Require establishment, weeding, remulching Require establishment, weeding, remulching �
http://www.minnehahacreek.org/ManagingWateronYourProperty.php http://www.minnehahacreek.org/ManagingWateronYourProperty.php
Kansas City 10,000 Kansas City 10,000 Rain Gardens Rain Gardens
Lower Platte Lower Platte South NRD South NRD Office in Office in Lincoln Lincoln
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