On a recent trip to Washington, D.C., I was suprised to find some of the government buildings had installed rain gardens and displayed information on starting a rain garden in your own backyard. A rain garden is a landscaped mulched garden with water tolerant plants created with a slight depression to allow for water which would otherwise become runoff to infiltrate and permeate to the water table. Cities can benefit from turning green space into rain gardens because there is so much impermeable surface in a city from roofs to streets and sidewalks. Homeowners can also benefit from rain gardens by allowing water which would become run off to reenter the water table.
The process the water goes through allows the water to be cleaned naturally through percolating through the soil. Additionally, baterias which naturally form in these areas, help to break down organic substances.
Additional information:
http://www.uri.edu/ce/healthylandscapes/NKTownhall.html
http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/stormwater/PublicationFiles/DesigningRainGardens2001.pdf
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