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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