Water Quality: Capturing Stormwater Runoff
When rain hits the roofs, streets, and driveways of our neighborhoods, it washes pollution into streams and rivers. Rain gardens are a natural way of capturing and filtering stormwater runoff. The R.L. Deppmann team was tasked with cleaning up and removing invasive plant species from one of Ann Arbor’s 62 rain gardens which serve a critical role minimizing pollution in the watershed. Stormwater runoff in this area runs into the Huron River which stretches 130 miles and flows into Lake Erie. Deppmann’s efforts at Burns Park will ensure that this large rain garden continues to improve water quality for the local community and beyond.
How Rain Gardens Combat Stormwater Runoff Pollution
A rain garden is a bowl or saucer-shaped garden planted with perennial native plants. Rain gardens rely on hardy, native perennial plants to soak up and filter the stormwater. Native plants will tolerate wet conditions as well as periods of drought. They are designed to absorb storm water run-off from impervious surfaces such as roofs and parking lots and filter it clean before it pollutes our local rivers.
Rain gardens can be small home-owner style gardens, large complex gardens, or anywhere in between. One inch of rainfall means 600 gallons of water will be captured by a typical rain garden. Captured water won’t go to municipal pipes, won’t add pollution to the river, and won’t contribute to flooding.
There are many benefits to building a rain garden for your home. If you are interested in building your own rain garden or taking steps in your community to improve the groundwater supply, check out the Rain Garden Guide for Homeowners courtesy of Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner.