Ecological Advantages of Rain Gardens
Rain gardens can be both beautiful and functional landscape elements for a home or community․ A rain garden is a small shallow‚ constructed‚ landscaped depression that collects and absorbs rainwater runoff from impervious surfaces such as roofs‚ driveways‚ parking lots‚ roads‚ sidewalks‚ and streets․ A rain garden is a type of garden that intercepts and filters rainwater runoff from impermeable surfaces before it reaches storm drains․ Rain gardens not only manage stormwater runoff‚ but also provide many overlooked benefits including improved wildlife habitat‚ increased plant and animal biodiversity‚ flood mitigation‚ and groundwater recharge․ Awareness of these benefits can lead individuals and communities to make the investments of time and resources to create rain gardens․
Rain gardens are best known for their impact on controlling stormwater runoff․ Rain falling on impervious surfaces can create a runoff volume that exceeds drainage infrastructure design and leads to urban flooding and pollution following rainfall events․ As this stormwater seeps into the ground in a rain garden‚ the infiltration of such water helps to both reduce the amount of water entering the storm drain‚ while also serving to recharge local groundwater supplies․ A rain garden can also be designed to replicate the natural infiltration of water into the Earth's surface‚ and can therefore be built to a size that promises to absorb large amounts of rainfall‚ and lower the risk of flooding in surrounding areas․
Rain Gardens Enhance Biodiversity
A second potential benefit of rain gardens is biodiversity enhancement․ Rain gardens can be very diverse as they can use many different native plants‚ providing habitat for a larger number of birds‚ butterflies‚ and helpful insects․ The use of native plants is important since they are adapted to the soil and climate‚ are resilient and provide important habitat and food for many types of wildlife․ In urban sites where the natural landscape has been destroyed and where little green space exists‚ the rain garden can provide an important oasis for biodiversity and provide important habitats for plants and wildlife․
Rain gardens are also useful for preventing erosion; the soil is designed to retain rainwater while slowing its flow through the soil․ The slower drainage rate may lead to water being absorbed into the ground where it may be used before it is lost‚ and it may help to limit soil loss‚ because of erosion‚ as water would otherwise run off bare ground or an uncultivated slope․ This is especially important in cities‚ where development can strip the land of its natural protective cover‚ and establishing these gardens can help maintain and strengthen the landscape to leave soil behind for generations to come․
Rain gardens can decrease pollution․ Water running off a hard surface‚ like a road or roof‚ is untreated and will carry away oils‚ heavy metals‚ and debris․ In customary drainage systems‚ these materials are simply carried to local waterways‚ where they may harm water quality and wildlife․ A rain garden allows the water to be filtered‚ broken down‚ and/or absorbed through the soil and plant roots at each layer of their profile․ Rain gardens use this natural process to keep our rivers‚ lakes and streams clean and to reduce the negative environmental impacts caused by urban stormwater runoff - making a direct investment in cleaner‚ healthier‚ sustainable environments․
Increase Property Value with Rain Gardens
Beyond their environmental benefits‚ rain gardens may be desirable because they can add to the aesthetic value of a property․ A rain garden can be customized by changing its size‚ shape‚ and plants․ Benefits include aesthetics (colorful flowers‚ foliage textures‚ and seasonal changes)‚ an attractive way to incorporate stormwater management into a residential landscape that otherwise could be a grassed drainage swale‚ and‚ if using native plants in the garden‚ reduced maintenance and water needs compared to customary turf grass lawns‚ which is a part of rain gardens' attractiveness to homeowners․ This in turn attracts butterflies‚ birds and bees which set to work creating a habitat where the natural world and those living in it can both thrive․
In short‚ the ten best benefits of rain gardens have a positive impact on the environment and on the aesthetics of the scenery‚ and they help with stormwater management‚ promote biodiversity‚ prevent soil erosion‚ and reduce pollution․ A rain garden can be a valuable addition to your environment and help solve many of the problems we face today․ They also represent what we can achieve when we work together at a community level to restore our surroundings․ Each rain garden model represents a microcosm of our future‚ a new way to protect our planet and reconnect people with nature․ They are an example of what occurs when citizens invest in collective action․
