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Rain Gardens: A Beautiful Step Towards Clean Water

Rain Gardens: A Beautiful Step Towards Clean Water. Sharon Anderson CCE Tompkins county. What is a Rain Garden Why Stormwater 101 Climate Change How to Make a Rain Garden. Depressions that capture and filter stormwater. Rain Garden. Stones break up the force of incoming water.

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Rain Gardens: A Beautiful Step Towards Clean Water

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  1. Rain Gardens: A Beautiful Step Towards Clean Water Sharon Anderson CCE Tompkins county

  2. What is a Rain Garden • Why Stormwater 101 Climate Change • How to Make a Rain Garden

  3. Depressions that capture and filter stormwater. Rain Garden Stones break up the force of incoming water

  4. Benefits Remove pollutants Replenish groundwater Reduce flooding Fit into existing landscapes Add beauty & enhances neighborhoods Provide wildlife habitat Expand plant choices - possibly

  5. A Rain Garden is NOT • NOT a solution to wet areas • NOT areas that breed mosquitoes • NOT maintenance free • NOTsomething that has to be done perfectly

  6. Stormwater 101: Quality And Quantity

  7. Endless Recycling

  8. Quality: Nonpoint Source Pollutants Source: Long Island NEMO

  9. Unintentional and Intentional

  10. Effects of Fertilizers

  11. Water Quantity

  12. 30% 55% 15% Development Increases Runoff 40% ffff 10 % 50%

  13. Increased volume and velocity

  14. Let Water Infiltrate and Treat Rain Where it Falls 1 Impervious surfaces of roofs, driveways, parking lots 2 Transfer Pipes 3 Roadside Ditch

  15. More Water Moving Faster Means Trouble… Degraded water quality Increased flooding

  16. Global Climate Change and Water: Temperature PrecipitationExtreme Events

  17. Source: C. Wake (UNH). Average annual temperatures in the NE have increased 1.8 F in the past 100 years, with winters warming more.

  18. Model Projections:Summer Heat

  19. http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/ globalwarming.nsf/content/ us-newyork.html

  20. Extreme precipitation events – 1902 - 2002 >2″ in 48 hrs Source: A. DeGaetano, Cornell University

  21. Summary of Predictions • Increased summer (2.5 to 4 F) and winter (1.5 to 3.5 F) temperatures in coming decades • Increased winterprecipitation • Less snow • Increased frequency of (short-term) drought • Increased frequency of intense precipitation • SO WHAT? • More flood damage • Low stream flows • Water supply less reliable • Disruption of agriculture • Warmer surface water

  22. Keep It Clean Let it Soak In • Mulch or plant exposed soil • Pick up after pets • Use pesticides & fertilizers responsibly • Keep litter picked up • Choose porous pathways over pavement • Point gutters toward grassy areas, not the driveway • Keep trees & vegetation – especially along shorelines Summary of Water Quality and Quantity Plant a Rain Garden

  23. Considerations for a Rain Garden • Min. 10 feet from foundation • Build on gentle slope • Well-drained • Flat bottom • Flows through grass removing silt • Overflow • Sunny ideal

  24. Steps in Building a Rain Garden • Siting and Sizing • Soil amendments • Designing the garden • Digging • Plant selection • Planting • Maintenance

  25. Siting • Water concentrated • Away from structure • Space available • Fits with use pattern • Slopes Utilities, septic and well Call Before You Dig!1-800-962-7962

  26. Soil • Texture by Feel • Infiltration test: hole in saturated soilempties in 24 hours

  27. Soil Amendments: • Rain Garden Mix: 50 % sand 30 % native soil or topsoil 20 % compost • Add gravel drainage

  28. Size • Depth / Slope • Soil Type • Drainage Area – 10-30% • Size of Lot

  29. Slope

  30. >12% Build a wall Depth/Slope

  31. Flat bottom Flat Bottom: • Eyeball • Check after rain • Measure

  32. Calculate Drainage Drainage to rear down spout Drainage to front down spout Measure house, ignore roof slope

  33. Slope: 10%, requires a depth of 8 inches Soil Type: Clay Drainage Area: 500 sq. ft. Location: 20 ft from downspout Garden size = 500 sq ft * 0.2 Rain Garden should be ~100 sq ft Pages 7-9 in WI Manual

  34. Design • Perpendicular to flow • Grass filter area • Length twice width • Overflow – but not neighbor’s • Hold water for 2 days maximum

  35. Outline garden • Save sod • Dig • Build berm, outlet

  36. Benefits of Native Plants Natives Plants Have Many Benefits

  37. Plant Selection • Tolerant of Wet and Dry (facultative to fac-up) Similar to Any Garden • Tolerance for Sun/Shade • Choose Variety of Heights & Bloom Times • Groups of 3 • Lupine Story

  38. Blocking for Continuous Bloom

  39. Virginia Bluebells, Pig Squeak, Ferns

  40. Great Blue Lobelia, Cardinal Flower, Japanese Primrose, Daylily, Siberian Iris

  41. Culvers Root, New England Aster, Turtle Flower

  42. Itea: Henry Garnet and Little Henry • Clethera

  43. Flowering Raspberry Winterberry

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