Rainscaping

The classic rain garden is designed to be an endpoint for stormwater that runs off a property or off of some type of impervious surface (a surface that water can't drain through, eg. a parking lot, a rooftop, or, to a certain extent, a lawn). Planted with native plants that don't require added nutrients or pesticides, a rain garden captures stormwater and allows it to percolate through soil layers and into the water table in a slower, healthier, and more natural way. This percolation process filters out sediment and other pollutants that would otherwise flow into our local waterways, and it reduces harmful flash floods that can be common to urban waterways.

For a more technical overview of rain gardens, complete with calculations, procedures, and site analyses, check out the Michigan Low Impact Development guide's chapter on rain gardens.

Interested in creating a rainscape? Check out how to build your own rain garden.

Bioswales are large-scale rain gardens designed—often by engineers—for heavy-duty stormwater management. They typically have an overflow option to a storm drain and are used to collect stormwater from a large area like a parking lot. They are often less formally planted and manicured than rain gardens.

This bioswale was seeded and planted with native prairie grasses and wildflowers and captures the stormwater from a 2 acre parking lot on Calvin University’s campus. The prairie is now mature enough to have prescribed burns every few years to manage weedy species and encourage the native plant growth. The water must travel through the large s-curve and rise above a standing pipe before it can spill over into a wetland, something that rarely happens. This project is a great example of how native habitat restoration can be used in responsible stormwater management.

Vegetated buffers are an important practice for farmers or anyone who owns land on the creek or any of its tributaries. Keeping  on Filling the banks of the creek and its tributaries, no matter how small, with trees, shrubs, grasses, and/or wildflowers benefits the water quality in several ways:

• Erosion control: Plant roots form extensive networks in the soil, helping hold it in place and keeping banks from eroding and washing into the creek.
• Shade: Trees and shrubs provide shade to the creek and its tributaries. This cools the water, improving natural habitats.
• Filter: Plants intercept runoff, helping filter out nutrients and trapping sediment. In an agricultural setting, they help filter runoff that can contain animal manure and E. coli bacteria, preventing health risks downstream.

Floodplain restorations are done next to waterways to stabilize eroded stream banks and create space for waterways to spread out and slow down, decreasing flooding and lowering the amount of sediment in the water. Native floodplain plants help to filter out pollutants and prevent erosion while providing rich habitat for native wildlife.