Residential rain gardens are a natural way to manage the rain on your property while adding beauty to your landscape. They can be a good solution for flatter spaces where the soils allow water to quickly and safely soak into the ground.
City of Portland, Oregon
What Is a Rain Garden?
A rain garden is a shallow bowl-shaped dip in the landscape that collects rainwater. They are often planted with native plants and can be designed with a formal or informal aesthetic. A rain garden is a great place to direct rain runoff from roofs or paved areas, as well as the overflow from another rainwater collection system such as a rain barrel. They can even be used to help manage or drain a naturally wet area in your yard. Rain gardens add beauty to your landscape while managing the rain and providing habitat for birds, bees, and other pollinators.
How Rain Gardens Work
In general, rain from a roof or paved area is directed to the rain garden where it is collected and stored until it can safely soak into the ground. The rain garden’s plants and soil filter out chemicals, dirt, and other pollutants picked up by the rainwater as it washes over hard surfaces. This keeps rainwater out of the sewer system, helps reduce the risk of sewer backups or overflows to the Willamette River, protects our rivers and streams from pollution, and replenishes groundwater.
Summary of Rain Garden Design Requirements
These site and design requirements can help you decide if a rain garden might be appropriate for your project.
Rain gardens are not very deep, so they can be created without professional help if you pay attention to important safety measures.
To stay safe and avoid damaging buildings or other structures:
The edge of the garden must be:
At least 6 feet away from a building with a basement or 2 feet from a building without a basement.
At least 5 feet away from neighboring properties.
At least 5 feet from the base and 10 feet from the top of retaining walls higher than 3 feet.
The deepest part of the rain garden should be at least 10 feet from any neighboring structures.
When building a rain garden, it’s also important to keep in mind:
The infiltration rates of the soils (how well water soaks into the ground). An infiltration test is recommended prior to rain garden construction. Find information on how to do an infiltration test in the How to Build a Residential Rain Garden guide below on this page.
The minimum suggested ponding depth of the finished rain garden should be 6 to 12 inches. Rain gardens should completely drain within 24 hours of a rain event.
Be cautious of underground utilities. Do not build over water, gas lines or oil tanks. Call before you dig, 1-800-332-2344, 8-1-1, or schedule an appointment online to locate all underground utilities.
Rain gardens are not suitable for steep locations — property with more than a 10 percent slope.
Avoid compacting the native soils. The rain garden must be large enough to handle the runoff directed to it. Sizing will depend on tested infiltration rates and catchment area.
Every garden should have a safe escape route. Plan where the rain will go when the garden is full and direct it away from structures and neighboring properties.
When choosing plants for your rain garden:
Install plants from the Stormwater Management Manual plant list or choose plants appropriate for the native plant community type as described in the Portland Plant List.
Environmental Services prohibits plants on the Portland Nuisance Plant List and the Required Eradication List. Both categories can be found in the Portland Plant List. Find a link in the Resources section below.
Find More Resources
How to Build a Residential Rain Garden. This printable how-to guide from Environmental Services will walk you through the steps to plan, design, and build your rain garden.
Low-Impact Development Fact Sheet on Rain Gardens by Oregon State University Extension Service provides a detailed overview of all aspects of rain gardens from site conditions to maintenance. Get the Low Impact Development Fact Sheet
These site and design requirements can help you decide if a rain garden might be appropriate for your project.
Rain gardens are not very deep, so they can be created without professional help if you pay attention to important safety measures.
To stay safe and avoid damaging buildings or other structures:
The edge of the garden must be:
At least 6 feet away from a building with a basement or 2 feet from a building without a basement.
At least 5 feet away from neighboring properties.
At least 5 feet from the base and 10 feet from the top of retaining walls higher than 3 feet.
The deepest part of the rain garden should be at least 10 feet from any neighboring structures.
When building a rain garden, it’s also important to keep in mind:
The infiltration rates of the soils (how well water soaks into the ground). An infiltration test is recommended prior to rain garden construction. Find information on how to do an infiltration test in the How to Build a Residential Rain Garden guide below on this page.
The minimum suggested ponding depth of the finished rain garden should be 6 to 12 inches. Rain gardens should completely drain within 24 hours of a rain event.
Be cautious of underground utilities. Do not build over water, gas lines or oil tanks. Call before you dig, 1-800-332-2344, 8-1-1, or schedule an appointment online to locate all underground utilities.
Rain gardens are not suitable for steep locations — property with more than a 10 percent slope.
Avoid compacting the native soils. The rain garden must be large enough to handle the runoff directed to it. Sizing will depend on tested infiltration rates and catchment area.
Every garden should have a safe escape route. Plan where the rain will go when the garden is full and direct it away from structures and neighboring properties.
When choosing plants for your rain garden:
Install plants from the Stormwater Management Manual plant list or choose plants appropriate for the native plant community type as described in the Portland Plant List.
Environmental Services prohibits plants on the Portland Nuisance Plant List and the Required Eradication List. Both categories can be found in the Portland Plant List. Find a link in the Resources section below.
When to Call a Professional
A professional designer is not required to design and build most home rain gardens. However, if you want help in selecting your plant palette, a nursery professional can help you pick out suitable plants based on your soil, sunlight, and garden design.
Costs and Permits
Rain gardens are not approved for any new construction or redevelopment project that activates the Stormwater Management Manual requirements. See the manual for more information.
The cost of installing a rain garden depends on many factors such as size, plant selection and density, and other possible work such as removing paved surfaces or rerouting downspouts.
You will need a City permit if your project involves any of the following activities or if any of the following conditions apply to your property.
You excavate or remove more than 10 cubic yards of dirt (that’s about enough to fill one standard size dump truck).
Your property has a 10 percent slope or more.
Your property is within 50 feet of a wetland or waterbody. Your property is in a floodplain.
You do not need city permits to construct a residential rain garden if:
If any of these conditions apply to your property, you may need to take extra steps to safely install a rain garden. Contact the Private Property Drainage Inquiries team to discuss safe options for your property.
Maintenance Requirements
Like any garden, a rain garden requires some regular maintenance. Once the garden becomes established, which happens in about two years, maintenance should be minimal. Because they collect lots of water, it is important to inspect your rain garden periodically, especially after a heavy rain.
Other ongoing maintenance tasks include:
Water the plants deeply once a week during dry months (May to October) to encourage root growth and keep plants strong, especially while plants are getting established during the first two summers.
Pull weeds by hand before they become established (avoid chemical weed killers).
Remove sediment and debris, watch for erosion, and replace plants as needed.
Regularly check gutters, downspouts and inlet pipes to ensure they are free and clear of debris and that rainwater can enter the garden.
Once a year, layer compost or mulch 2 inches deep to suppress weeds and feed plants.
Thin and prune plants as needed. Divide dense plantings every two to five years.
Remove leaves in the fall. Leaf build-up will reduce rain garden capacity and smother plantings.
Stormwater Management Manual
Consult the City’s Stormwater Management Manual for the complete set of requirements on how to safely site, build, and maintain a rain garden or other stormwater management solution on your property.
Clean River Rewards Eligibility
Residential and commercial property owners who install qualified stormwater management solutions may be eligible for a discount on the stormwater charges of their sewer, stormwater, and water bill through the Clean River Rewards program.
Rain gardens that meet the safety and space requirements outlined above and are at least 10 percent of the area of the roof that is draining to it are eligible for Clean River Rewards. Visit Clean River Rewards to learn more.
Agriculture, the backbone of the Nepalese economy provides employment to 66% of the total population and contributes 33% to the GDP. Jumla district ranks top in terms of area and production of apple. There is a steady increase in the area as well as production of apple. Apple is produced under rainfed conditions dependent upon the winter snowfall and summer rainfall. Lack of irrigation is considered as one of the prime reasons for the poor quality of apples in this region.
Farmers have been collecting snowfall during the winter season and irrigating apple trees by piling it around the base of the apple trees. However, the practice has resulted in disease incidence. In order to improve this traditional, innovative practice, an action research was conducted to explore if the snowfall could be collected in a plastic pond. Thus, an action research was conducted to improve the farmer’s traditional practice of snowfall collection around the apple tree in an improved way in the year 2014-15 through the Climate Smart Agriculture Project (CSA), supported by SNV, Nepal. The action research study was conducted jointly in Jumla district of Nepal in collaboration with District Agriculture Development Office (DADO) and local organization, Surya Samajik Sewa Sang (4S).
Action Research: In 2014, the District Agriculture Development Office (DADO), conducted focused group discussion with about 600 farmers to prepare the Agriculture Development Plan of Jumla district. This was done in collaboration with different organizations like Forest Action, LI-BIRD, World Vision and Italian Foundation. The idea was to find whether the snowfall during the winter season (Dec-Feb) could be collected in Silpolin plastic pond and water be generated after melting.
The study was conducted in two villages, namely, Mahat and Kartikswami in Jumla district. Three farmers namely Hansha Mahat, Narbir Kami and Amrita Chaulagain were selected to conduct action research on snow harvest plastic pond irrigation. The farmers were selected to see whether this new idea of collecting snow during winter months could be successful or not. These farmers had a minimum of 25 apple trees with no irrigation source. They provided their time and willingness to share cost in the research. The selected farmers were provided training on the stepwise process of snow harvest collection and the orchard management practices.
The digging of the pond was done during the month of August, just after the completion of the monsoon season. This made the digging easy. Although the idea was to dig a pond of 3x1x1 meter volume size, the final volume of the pond after farmers dug was 3×1.1×1.2m. After digging the pond, the silpolin plastic of 150 GSM was laid inside the pond. The laying of plastic in the pond is a crucial action. The pond was made free from roots, stones or rocks in order to prevent the damage of the plastic. The average cost of the pond came to be around Nepalese rupee 17,900. The detail of the cost items is listed in Table 1.
Table 1: Cost of constructing plastic pond (3×1.1×1.2 m size)
S.No
Cost items
Rate
Total amount
1
Materials
Silpolin plastic (150 GSM)-1 number
12500
13500
Digging materials (shovel)-2 set
1000
2000
2
Labor cost
Digging pond (3X1.1X1.2 m size)
4 man-days @600/day
2400
Total cost
17900
Table 1 – Costing in the year 2014-2015 in Nepalese Rupee.
During the study period, the snowfall occurred several times in a span of 3 months (December-February). Each time after the snowfall, it was collected in the plastic pond. The collection of snow was done for 4 times. In the study, the snowballs were rolled over the ground and moved slowly into the pond to avoid damage to plastic sheets. Each time the pond was filled up with the snowball, it started to melt with rise in temperature. The measurement was done every time after the snowball was added to it. The final measurement of the three ponds was done after the snowballs had completely melt, during the end of April. The melted water was measured. To reduce the evaporation losses, the pond was covered with mulch material from tree trunks and pine leaves. All three farmers were trained to select 5 trees for control (no irrigation) and 5 five trees for irrigation. Melted snow was applied at the rate of 5 liters/plant with plant age being 10 years. Each plant was irrigated five times coinciding with the five critical stages of apple production. The five critical stages at which the snowmelt water was applied were: fertilizer application stage – end of January; bud sprouting period – end of February; flowering time- 2nd week of March; fruit setting stage – end of April and marble size fruit stage -2nd week of May. The apple trees receiving snowmelt water were mulched with pine leaves to minimize evaporation loss. Some qualitative parameters like fruit size, number of fruits per kilogram weight and Total Soluble Solid (TSS) content was recorded. In order to measure the Brix percentage, a refractometer was used.
Results: The amount of water collected in all plastic ponds of 3 farmers orchards from 4 consecutive collections of snow was 3710, 4110, and 4310 liters respectively. The average water that was harvested from the snowfall was 4044 liters/pond. Since the water collected in the pond was applied at the rate of 5 litres/plant in 5 critical stages, the total water applied for one single tree was 25 litres. Based on this application, the average water harvested (i.e. 4044 litres) in each pond was enough to irrigate, approximately, 120-130 plants in the orchard. Although the amount of water applied to the apple tree was very less compared to the general water requirement of 250 – 400 mm, the scarce snow-melt water was applied near the root zone. The feeder roots of the apple trees lie in the top 1-20 cm of soil profile. Mulching was done to mitigate the evaporation loss. Pine leaves of about 10 cm thickness were applied around the base of the tree. Earlier, research has shown that the trees with mulching have a higher percentage of roots in this topsoil profile, which was anticipated as water applied could be taken by the roots effectively. Mulching helped in maintaining moisture, especially in the water stress region. Although the water requirement of the apple trees might depend upon the variety, soil type, and orchard management practices adopted by the farmers, this innovation has helped in managing water for apple farming. The farmers using snow collected water and better management practices reported higher yield with good quality harvest compared to non-irrigated ones. Similarly, the number of fruits per kilogram in irrigated apple trees ranged from 6-8 as compared to 9-12 fruits/kg in non-irrigated trees. The grading of fruits was done as A (> 75mm), B (65-74mm) and C (< 64 mm) based on diameter. Greater number of A-grade fruits were observed in irrigated trees than in non-irrigated trees. The Brix percentage of fruits in all irrigated plants ranged from 11-14 as compared to 10-12 in non-irrigated plants.
Upscaling the innovation: The innovative practice in three farmer’s orchards was a key success, revealing that snow-melt water could be preserved in the plastic pond and used during critical stages of apple production. The use of water at the critical stages resulted in improved fruit size with more TSS percentage, thereby enhancing the quality of the fruit. As a validation to the innovation, 150 farmers from different villages were selected in the year 2016 and the same process of snow harvest was repeated. In the year 2016, about 130 farmers were able to collect snow in the plastic pond. The success of the innovation was broadcasted from the local and national FM radio station and television. A Joint Secretary led team from Ministry of Agriculture Development visited the farmer’s orchard. Since the Directorate of Extension under Department of Agriculture has been supporting small irrigation schemes like rainwater harvest, plastic pond irrigation, small and medium canal irrigation (construction and maintenance) in Nepal, the Ministry later re-amended the Plastic Pond Irrigation Directive 2065 (2008) and added provision to support snow-harvest pond irrigation in the directive. The innovation has now been institutionalized in the government program to support the apple farmers in Himalayan districts of Nepal.
Step 1: Drill three of four holes in the barrel. One of these is for the bibet to connect your garden house to the barrel and the other fittings will allow you to add more barrels in the future. One of the barrels must have an overflow fitting near the top of the barrel. If you plan on using 3/4 inch fittings use a 1 inch hole saw to cut the holes. If you have an adjustable hole saw make it a little smaller than 1 inch.
Step 2: Place plumbers goop on a 3/4 inch nipple. Using a 3/4 inch galvanized metal nipple and some locking pliers, thread nipple into the barrel. the hole for the fitting. Place Plumbers goop or some other adhesive on the thread.
Step 3: Now the real fun part. Cut the down spout at the proper height. You should place the rainbarrel on one or two concrete blocks and then determine the proper height. After cutting the down spout attach the necessary elbows and extensions to have the down spout reach the barrel. I still am trying to create a non ABS or PVC way to divert the first couple of gallons after each rainfall (this will keep the sediment from clogging up the screen). Attach a 4 inch by 2 inch ABS plastic converter to the end of the down spout and attach a fine mesh screen over the converter (you can use a paint sprayer filter which you can get at a hardware store).
Step 4: If you are adding more barrels do this now. Attach a garden hose Y fitting on the 3/4 inch nipples. Position the barrels on top of the concrete blocks and cut the right length of garden hose to connect the barrels (with male fittings attached to both ends).
Step 5: The final product. You must attach an overflow line on the first barrel (the one on the far right in this picture). This must be placed near the top of the barrel and it should be attached to some form of hose or tube to discharge any overflow. Please note that you must remove one of the two bung fittings on the top of the barrel and cover it with a small screen. I used the paint sprayer filter with a rubber-band to hold it in place.
As you may already know, the topography in Meghalaya is hilly, with steep slopes and rough landscapes. Hence, using ground channels in this area is unfavorable. So, bamboo drip irrigation is widely preferred.
Usually, water sources are distant from plantation sites and so the main bamboo channel runs several meters, sometimes even a couple of kilometres. Water is thus obtained and managed through a brilliant bamboo system of secondary and tertiary channels to reach each part and corners of the plantation.
Bamboo channels are utilized to tap perennial water from up-slopes, which is cleverly diverted to the lower parts using gravity. An ingenious system that wastes very little water and works to this day.
Channel sections are made of bamboos of different diameters, to control the water flow in such a way that the water reaches the site in the lower reaches, where it is circulated without spillage. The channels are supported by forked branches.
It is so perfected that about 18-20 litres of water entering the bamboo pipe system per minute gets transported over several hundred metres and finally gets reduced to 20-80 drops per minute at the site of the plant.
One can buy online best quality herbs and spices that are grown in traditional ways by Meghalaya’s farmers (without pesticide and chemicals fertilizer) and are unadulterated and guaranteed by Zizira from their website https://www.zizira.com/ .
Over 80% of the population of Meghalaya depend on agriculture and most of them own small family farms and follow traditional farming methods. A good irrigation system is an imperative for successful farming.
Read on to see how these farmers who follow traditional farming methods have a traditional irrigation system designed by themselves.
A 200 years old Traditional Irrigation System
The topography in Meghalaya is hilly, with steep slopes due to which there are two challenges the farmers of Meghalaya face.
First, the water-retention capacity of the terrain is poor.
Second, bringing water from distant water sources to the fields is a big challenge for the farmers in the rural areas.
Ground channeling is also impractical due to the harsh landscape. Confronted with such adverse conditions for irrigation, the traditional farmers of Meghalaya have come up with an innovative way that works. Since olden times, farmers of Meghalaya who mostly follow traditional farming methods have been utilizing an indigenous, traditional irrigation method of bamboo drip irrigation system to water their crops.
Critical Area Planting Establish vegetation in small areas of isolated erosion. The grass, trees, or shrubs provide surface cover to stop raindrop splash and slow water flow.Cover Crops Plant crops, including cereal rye, oats and winter wheat, to temporarily protect the ground from wind and water erosion during times when cropland isn’t adequately protected.Conservation Tillage Leave last year’s crop residue on the surface before and during planting operations to provide cover for soil. Crop residue shields soil particles from rain and wind until crops produce a protective canopy.Water and Sediment Control Basins Build an embankment across a depressional area of concentrated water runoff to act similar to a terrace. It traps sediment and water running off farmland above the structure.Grassed Waterways Grade and shape a natural drainageway to form a smooth, bowl shaped channel, and seed to sod-forming grasses. Runoff flows down the grassed drainageway, preventing erosion and the formation of gullies.
A Cover Crop is a non-cash crop planted to keep ground covered. This video explores how Charlie Roberts in Halls, TN is using this practice to protect soil health and increase water infiltration on his cropland.
Major benefits of this practice include: 1. Decreases erosion 2. Improves soil health 3. Decreases soil compaction 4. Reduces evaporation 5. Reduces input cost
The Conservation at Work video series was created to increase producer awareness of common conservation practices and was filmed at various locations throughout the country. Because conservation plans are specific to the unique resource needs on each farm and also soil type, weather conditions, etc., these videos were designed to serve as a general guide to the benefits of soil and water conservation and landowners should contact their local USDA office for individual consultation. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. #CoverCrops #SoilHealth #Conservation
Yamakura Dam, Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan
Project
Overview
Location
Yamakura Dam (Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan)
Operation
Kyocera TCL Solar LLC
Output
Approx. 13.7MW
Solar modules
270-watt Kyocera modules (50,904 modules in total)
Expected annual power generation
Approx. 16,170MWh/year Electricity generated is planned to be sold to Tokyo Electric Power Company, Incorporated
Construction timeline
Start of construction: December 2015Planned launch: FY2018 (fiscal year ending March 31, 2018)
Design & construction
KYOCERA Communication Systems Co., Ltd.
Maintenance
KYOCERA Solar Corporation
Company
Overview
Company name
Kyocera TCL Solar LLC
Location
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Shareholders
Century Tokyo Leasing Corporation (81%) Kyocera Corporation (19%)
Established
August 2012
Business outline
To sell power produced from solar power generation
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0801_K7VZGo 17 Apr 2015 – Kyocera Corporation and Century Tokyo Leasing Corporation announced today that Kyocera TCL Solar LLC, a joint venture established by the two companies, has completed construction of two floating mega-solar power plants at Nishihira Pond and Higashihira Pond in Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. The plants, inaugurated in late March, will generate an estimated 3,300 megawatt hours (MWh) per year in total — enough electricity to power approximately 920 typical households*. Features 1. Floating solar power generating systems typically generate more electricity than ground-mount and rooftop systems due to the cooling effect of the water. Features 2. They reduce reservoir water evaporation and algae growth by shading the water. Features 3. Floating platforms are 100% recyclable, utilizing high-density polyethylene, which can withstand ultraviolet rays and resists corrosion. Features 4. The floating platforms are designed and engineered to withstand extreme physical stress, including typhoon conditions. * Based on average annual use of 3,600kWh per household. Source: Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDnVBFqpFpI The largest floating PV power plant in Japan: 13,744 kWp Installed on a water retention reservoir, Yamakura Dam, in Chiba prefecture. Project developed by Kyocera TCL Solar LLC Hydrelio® floating system provided by Ciel & Terre® International company.
A rain garden is a bowl-shaped depression designed as a garden to capture, hold, and absorb rainwater. Rain gardens slow the flow of rainwater from roofs, sidewalks, streets, parking lots, and other impervious surfaces, allowing the water to penetrate the soil.
The soil cleans the water of pollutants before it enters the storm drain and empties into our bayous and bays. This process allows us to keep more of the rain that falls on our yards, and the storm water that finally enters the storm drain is cleaner.Rain gardens use native plants as well as nonnative plants that are adapted to our climate. When designed properly, water in the rain garden should stand for no more than 24 to 48 hours, too short a period for mosquitoes to hatch.
Another benefit is that rain gardens serve as habitats for wildlife such as birds and butterflies. They are useful for residential, commercial, and public areas.
Above all, a rain garden is a landscape amenity, blending beauty and function—an attractive WaterSmart solution to water pollution.
Proposed to be constructed in the southern portion of the AgriLife Campus the rain garden will have curb openings with a concrete flume that will allow for runoff to drain to a collection point within the garden for automatic sampling and flow measurement. A surface overflow box will drain water to an underground pipe away from the median. Additionally, the drainage layer of the rain garden will house perforated pipes that will assist in soil infiltration. A flow measurement device will measure the overflow and perforated pipe. Water quality samples will be collected with an automatic sampler. A pressure transducer will be installed within a well point to measure soil water storage. The outflow will drain into a depression/ ditch via a flume. Plants will be selected based on optimal performance of the rain garden, including treatment of the storm water. Overall, the monitoring data will be used to quantify total water inflow (runoff), outflow (runoff and infiltration), soil water storage, and pollutant balances. The rain garden will also be maintained beyond the scope of this project as a demonstration for the public.
What is rain garden? A rain garden is a beautiful and effective way to clean polluted stormwater runoff. A rain garden acts like a miniature native forest by collecting, absorbing, and filtering stormwater runoff from roof tops, driveways, patios, and other areas that don’t allow water to soak in. They can be built at several scales and one may be just right for your home or neighborhood. Rain Gardens are simply shallow depressions that: # Can be shaped and sized to fit your yard. # Use a special mix of sand and compost that allow water to soak in rapidly and supports healthy plant growth. #Can be landscaped with a variety of plants to fit the surroundings.
Will it be expensive or difficult to install and maintain a rain garden? Once a shallow depression is dug for the rain garden, it won’t be any more expensive than planting other landscaped areas in your yard. Most of the recommended plants can be purchased at local nurseries and you maintain them just like any other plants in your yard. If you are using native plants, once established, they will require less water and no fertilization.
Won’t a rain garden create a pond for mosquitoes? No, a rain garden is not a pond. When properly constructed, the water will drain within 48 hours (but usually faster). Mosquitoes won’t find rain gardens to be good breeding areas because they need much more time to lay and hatch eggs.
I’m interested in building a rain garden. What should I do next? Visit http://www.cmhc.ca (or any equivalent website in your area) and type “rain gardens” in the search field for more information on rain gardens. *Note: This information is provided for your benefit only. If you do not feel comfortable in constructing your rain garden, please consult a landscaper. The City of Calgary will not be liable nor responsible for any bodily or personal injury or property damage of any nature that may be suffered from the construction of your rain garden.
What’s are Benefits of Rain Gardens Low maintenance. Rain gardens need no more care than regular landscaping. Grows quickly. Extra moisture and loose, deep soil make plants thrive and quickly fill in a space. Provides habitat. Rain gardens can provide abundant food, water, and shelter for wildlife such as birds and butterflies. Diversifies plant possibilities. Extra natural moisture means you can have a water-wise garden while including more moisture-loving plants you might otherwise have had to leave out. Improves aesthetics. Rain gardens add visual interest to your yard and your community.
Why Rain Gardens are Best for… Properties with more space. Rain gardens are simplest to install when you can stay at least three metres away from building foundations. Newer properties with mostly manicured turf. Typical groomed turf is usually underlain with a shallow soil that is inhospitable to plant survival, doesn’t break down contaminants, and creates a lot of runoff. Adding rain gardens to this type of property (newer than about 1970) will instantly improve its performance. Areas where a tree canopy is yet to establish. If you have mature trees, your property is working hard already, and rain gardens are a type of feature that might be difficult to fit in. Where you don’t have trees, rain gardens are a major performance booster.
Rain Garden Basics
What is a rain garden? A rain garden is a beautiful and effective way to clean polluted stormwater runoff. A rain garden acts like a miniature native forest by collecting, absorbing, and filtering stormwater runoff from roof tops, driveways, patios, and other areas that don’t allow water to soak in. They can be built at several scales and one may be just right for your home or neighborhood.
Rain Gardens are simply shallow depressions that:
Can be shaped and sized to fit your yard.
Use a special mix of sand and compost that allow water to soak in rapidly and supports healthy plant growth.
Can be landscaped with a variety of plants to fit the surroundings.
Why do we need raingardens? Stormwater is nothing but rainfall after it falls on the earth’s surface and travels across the landscape to a nearby stream or other water body. In landscapes that have been altered by humans, this stormwater picks up everything we humans leave behind – things like oil and gas, heavy metals, fertilizers, and animal waste.
Scientists have confirmed that stormwater is harmful to humans, animals, and fish that come in contact with it. Eventually stormwater makes its way to Puget Sound impairing the Sound’s water quality, impacting our shellfish and fisheries industry, and limiting recreational opportunities. (Source: https://extension.wsu.edu/raingarden/featured-rain-gardens/)
WSU research and experiments have shown that stormwater collected from highways around Puget Sound is lethal to fish. However, when that same stormwater was filtered through a special rain garden soil mix – the fish lived. Rain gardens can be a important tool in limiting the amount of contaminated water reaching our streams and Puget Sound.
Living off the land means you survive only by the resources that can be harvested from the land you own. So, think food, water & power.
Offgrid Living – The Nicholson House: We are living off the grid! This 1200 sq. foot house was built in 1997. Concrete floor with open floor plan 2 Bedrooms, 1 bath, carport, with 200 sq. foot workshop Propane for hotwater and stove. Appliances included Solar for electric Rain water harvesting with two 1500 gallon tanks. Case-study: http://rwh.in/offgrid.htm
Coming up the drive wayFront porch-“D” doing what she does best.
Off-the-grid or off-grid is a characteristic of buildings and a lifestyle designed in an independent manner without reliance on one or more public utilities.
The porch goes all the way around the house as the next four pictures show. This one is the front of the house.Front Porch – Another ViewSide Porch – 1Side Porch – 2 Side PorchSide view of yard and carport/workshop.
Off-the-grid living allows for buildings and people to be self-sufficient, which is advantageous in isolated locations where normal utilities cannot reach and is attractive to those who want to reduce environmental impact and cost of living.
The carport is constructed with 2 x 4 metal studs and insulated. Rainwater is also harvested from this roof.
The term “off-the-grid” traditionally refers to not being connected to the electrical grid, but can also include other utilities like water, gas, and sewer systems, and can scale from residential homes to small communities. The term off-the-grid (OTG) can refer to living in a self-sufficient manner without reliance on one or more public utilities. People who adopt this lifestyle are called off-gridders.
Side of house that faces the driveway. Pictured is “Henry” who was left behind and loves to hang there. He was too scared to be captured by the old owners, so they had to leave him behind. He can’t be touched but does follow us around as we walk the property. He eats our food and by barking at the coyotes keeps them away. He gets along with our two dogs and instead of sleeping in the dog house that was left behind he sleeps on the hay in front of it.Kitchen and dining area. Generally, an off-grid building must be able to supply energy and potable water for itself, as well as manage food, waste and wastewater.Living Room with wood stove. This little stove is all the heat that is needed for an Arizona winter. It takes the chill out of the air, and with the strawbale construction the heat is retained nicely.Front door on right, hallway toward bedrooms on left.BathroomHallway from bath. Portia on her favorite windowsill. The windowsills are two feet deep. Main bedroom-the hang out for Sundance and Cheyanne. Approx. 13×13.The second bedroom is our computer room. Approx. 11×13.Two tanks that collect the water from the roof of the house and carport.Solar panel that supplies the electricity for the house. Batteries store power for night time and cloudy days. The solar panel tracks (moves) with the sun.
Basic components of rainwater system: Regardless of the complexity of the system, the domestic rainwater harvesting system comprises six basic components: #1 Catchment surface: the collection surface from which rainfall runs off #2 Gutters and downspouts: channel water from the roof to the tank #3 Leaf screens, first-flush diverters, and roof washers: components which remove debris and dust from the captured rainwater before it goes to the tank #4 One or more storage tanks, also called cisterns #5 Delivery system: gravity-fed or pumped to the end use #6 Treatment/purification: for potable systems, filters and other methods to make the water safe to drink. Refer Chapter2 of The Texas Manual on Rainwater Harvesting >>
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