North Carolina Cooperative Extension Backyard Rain Garden

Program

Mitch Woodward, Charles Humphrey, Bill Lord,Dwane Jones, Bill Hunt, Kelly Collins, Lara Rozzell, Wendi Hartup,

Charlotte Glen

Goal:

Seeing roof and yard runoff

as resource rather than

waste product

Raingardens slow water runoff and improve water quality

Development Impactson the Water Cycle

50%50%10%10%

15%15%55%55%

Credit: NCSU

Rainfall

Storage

Infiltration

Rice Creek Watershed District

Rain Gardens Can Be Welcome Additions to Landscapes!!!

Design Principles of Rain Gardens• Handles stormwater at its source. • Decreases the velocity of water flowing from

impervious surfaces. • Improves water quality before it enters the stream

or ditch.• Facilitates infiltration• Beautiful

Rain garden benefits•Add beauty (and value) to your property

•Minimizing rainwater runoff to storm drains or streams while allowing excess rainwater to filter slowly into the soil

•Protecting our valuable water resources

•Provide wildlife habitat

•Adaptable in scale and land use

Match $$$ provided by involving Match $$$ provided by involving County Extension AgentsCounty Extension Agents

$…..I’m just

matching funds to you, aren’t I?

Garden Location & InstallationGarden Location & Installation

• Where does water travel or collect?

Observe your yard during a rainfall eventObserve your yard during a rainfall event

Rain garden planning

•Source and path of stormwater •Size of impervious surfaces•Soils type (sandy, clayey, rocky or mixed)•Proximity to wells, foundations, septic systems•Existing landscape features

Soil Evaluation

Be Aware of Clay Soils!

If drains less than 1 hour = too fast and plants won’t establish

If drains more than 48-72 hours = too wet ! Backyard wetland?

Rain Garden Installations

Raleigh

Rated as ‘Good’

Day of Installation + 18 Months

Cary

• Fair

• Continues to work well

Fall After Installation After 1 year, 2 inch rain

Durham Museum of Life and Science

• Fair

• Great Demonstration Site

Day of Installation + 18 Months

Town Hall

Baldwin Park

Failures

Summary of Preliminary Analysis of Raingarden Condition. Rain gardener Type Rain garden Condition*______

Good Fair Failure Avid 10 3 1Gardener Environmentalist 2 7 Direct Connection 4 4To Resource

Flooding 2 3Issues Required byLaw 8 15 8** Educators / Schools 1 5

*Good: Maintained well, functioning as designed.

Fair: Maintenance not evident, still provide some treatment

Failure: Not maintained, not functioning.

Rain Gardens Maintenance Issues 2 Years after Installation. Maintenance Issue Number of Rain gardens Affected Berm / Weir Failure 6 Plants / Planting 49 Soils / Drainage 10 Sedimentation / 8**Clogging Mulching 38 General Neglect / Abandoned 9

www.bae.ncsu.edu/topic/raingarden