Rain Garden

Rain Garden

NAME: Andrew Ewing

LOCATION: Seattle/Puget Sound, Washington, United States

CREDITS: Aaron Clark, Stewardship Partners, Washington State University

WHERE/HOW DID YOU FIND IT: Web Search http://www.12000raingardens.org/about-the-campaign.html

WHY DID YOU SELECT THIS ONE: This is a really ambitious project.  The Northwest gets a lot of  rain every year,  and they are typically leaders when it comes to environmental practices.  As a result, it makes sense to look at the ways they are creating and using rain gardens.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION: This isn't one project. This is 12,000 rain gardens that form one regions campaign to help clean up the pollution that ends up in Puget Sound.  Rainwater from streets, driveways, lawns and rooftops primarily end up polluting Puget Sound, and they effect the health, environment, and economy of the region. Stewardship Partners and Washington State University are working in conjunction to help solve this problem. Another major problem is a lot of the wooded regions are being clear cut and replaced with roads, parking lots and commercial industries that lead to even more runoff close to the shore lines.  While rain gardens aren't the perfect solution, they are a good alternative and certainly more cost effective than other methods.

The location of these rain gardens is primarily on main streams and marine shorelines caused by untreated, uncontrolled runoff where pollution is the worst.  However anybody willing to create one is encouraged to participate.  Workshops are provided regularly.  Also certain areas have rain garden incentive programs in place where you can be eligible to receive a refund on part of your expenses.  The most successful areas are places where clusters of rain gardens have been implemented.  "The SEA Street project in Seattle resulted in the removal of 98% of contaminants from the street." That is extremely successful, and if more areas can get on board with this type of planning, other areas can see the same success.