RA RAIN IN GA GARD RDENS ENS: : BE BEAUTIFUL UTIFUL YAR ARDS - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

RA RAIN IN GA GARD RDENS ENS: : BE BEAUTIFUL UTIFUL YAR ARDS DS Deborah Weller Sustainability Division June 24, 2017 D E P A R T M E N T O F T H E E N V I R O N M E N T

Outline • Introduction: What is a Rain Garden? • Rain Check Rebate: Helping you beautify your yard. • Why install a rain garden? • What you need to know to install a rain garden? – Siting – Sizing – Plants – Installation – Care http://natsci.edgewood.edu/wingra/management/raingardens/

Do I Have a Site For a Rain Garden? Can You Build Your Own Rain Garden? What Questions Should I Ask a Contractor or Landscaper? How Do I Get That Rain Check Rebate?

What is a Rain Garden? Images courtesy Rasma Plato

Prince George’s County Rain Check Rebate Program Gives property owners rebates for installing stormwater management practices “Our Water. Our Future. Ours to Protect ”

Eligible Practices Urban Rain Rain Permeable Green Pavement Tree Cistern Barrel Garden Pavement Roof Removal Canopy

Rebate Amounts

Applicant Eligibility  Homeowners  Members of a housing cooperative  Commercial businesses  Multi-family dwellings  Nonprofit organizations  Not-for-profit organizations

Maximum Rebate Per Property  $4,000 maximum residential rebate  $20,000 maximum rebate for commercial properties and multi-family dwellings  Rebate amount cannot exceed the cost of the project

Project Eligibility  The project is located within Prince George’s County  The project is completed within 12 months of application approval  The Chesapeake Bay Trust (CBT) conducts pre- and post-installation site visits and finds the project in compliance with the approved application*  The project follows the program guidelines * Rain barrels do not require pre-inspection

How to Get Your Rebate a) Determine what practices are suitable for your property 1 a) Fill out and submit the application to CBT b) Schedule a pre-installation site visit for all practices 2 except rain barrels a) Install the practice within 12 months of approval b) Schedule a post-installation site visit 3 a) Submit receipts to CBT b) Receive rebate check 4 Visit us online at http://www.cbtrust.org/princegeorgesraincheck

Rain Check Rebate Rain Garden Requirements  Rain garden must be at least 100 square ft.  Must treat runoff from impervious area.  Water must be able to seep into the soil quickly enough so that it will drain in 24 to 36 hours.  At least 25 ft. away from a septic field or a well head.  Can’t impede neighbor’s flow or discharge onto their property.  At least 10 ft. away from your home and your neighbors’ homes.  Native plants only!

What Kinds of Permits Are Required?  A permit is not required for most rain gardens.  If installation exceeds 5,000 square feet and/or 100 cubic yards of earth-moving disturbance, or a change in grade of +/- 12” a permit is required.  Contact the County’s Department of Permits, Inspection and Enforcement for more information: (301) 636-2000 or www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/sites/dpie/Pages/default .aspx.

Rain Barrels Residential Rebate Amount:  Containers used to collect $2 per gallon storied (must rainwater from your roof and capture 50 gallons) store it for later use (e.g., Non-residential Rebate Amount: $2 per gallon storied watering your lawn and garden) (must capture 100 gallons)  Rain barrels reduce stormwater runoff, allowing more of the water to soak into the ground, replenishing groundwater 14 Source: Katie Elzer-Peters https://www.americanrivers.org/threats-solutions/clean-water/green-infrastructure/rain-barrel-garden /

Questions? For more information and to apply: Rain Check Rebate: Contact Hannah Martin at 410-974-2941 ext.114 or rebate@cbtrust.org or go to https://cbtrust.org/prince-georges-county-rain-check-rebate/

RA RAIN IN GA GARD RDENS ENS: : BE BEAUT UTIFUL IFUL YARDS RDS Deborah Weller Sustainability Division June 24, 2017

Why Install a Rain Garden?  Improve water quality  Increases infiltration of rainwater  Beautifies your yard and community  Reduces erosion and ponding problems  Reduces Clean Water Fee  May increase property values

Increase bird/butterfly habitat Beauty and function

What Are the Parts of a Rain Garden? Inflow entrance Ponding area Overflow path Soil, mulch and plants

How Can You Determine if Your Property Is Suitable for a Rain Garden?  Where are the pervious and impervious areas on the property and how does the water flow?  How well does water soak into the different areas of the property?  What kind of soil is present?  Is there a gently sloping place that regularly receives runoff?

How Can You Determine if Your Property Is Suitable for a Rain Garden?  Can the rain garden be placed to avoid locating under a large tree because the roots will make it difficult to dig?  What level of maintenance is required?  How does it fit with your abilities?  Can your rain garden be located in full or partial sun?  Where are your utilities?

Where to Put a Rain Garden? Where are the pervious and impervious areas on the property and how does the water flow?  Impervious surfaces: roofs, sidewalks, patios, driveway, clay lawn turf  Where are the downspouts?  Identify natural water path through the yard

Where to Put a Rain Garden? full or partial sun downspout rain garden >25’ from >10’ from septic field building

Where to Put a Rain Garden?  Natural depressions and flat land X  Easy viewing from inside X  Fitting into the rest of the landscape  Proximity to trees, utilities, septic system, foundation X and well head. X

Before You Toil, Know Your Soil Does Your Soil Infiltrate? To figure out how deep Infiltration Rate: How fast your rain garden should water soaks into, or be, consider the infiltrates, the ground infiltration rate: Standard Infiltration Rate of Soils: Clays: .15 inches/hour Silts or Loams: .5 inches/hour What kind of soil is present? Sands: 1 inch/hour

Infiltration Rate: Quick Percolation Test  Dig a hole 1 foot wide and 2 feet deep  Fill hole with water  If water drains out of the hole in 6 hours, the site is suitable for a rain garden  If water does drains in less than 24 hours, soil should be suitable.  To be sure, refill the hole with water within 12 hours and make sure that it takes no longer than 36 hours to drain. http://nemo.uconn.edu/raingardens/sizing.htm#check

Infiltration Rate: Percolation Test  Dig a hole 1 foot wide and 2 feet deep  Fill hole with water and allow to drain  Fill with water, measure and record time  Wait an hour  Measure and record the time  Calculate the infiltration rate (inches/hours) Sand Silt Clay High infiltration Low infiltration Moderate rate rate infiltration rate 1 inch/hour .15 inches/hour .5 inches/hour

Ideal Soils  Ideal rain garden soil mix – 50-60% sand, 20-30% topsoil, 20-30% compost  No more than 10% of mix should be clay  Be careful of the nutrient content of composts  Lower nutrient concentrations are better for the rain garden soil

Is There a Gently Sloping Place That Regularly Receives Runoff? Is there a gently sloping place that regularly receives runoff? Slope = (rise/run) x 100 run X 12% rise http://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/_docs/articles/Rain_Gardens_Across_MD.pdf

What Size Garden Do I Need?  Figure out the size of the area that will have runoff going to the rain garden width  For a house, draw a length footprint  Break whole roof into areas going to each gutter  Figure areas for each gutter

What Size Garden Do I Need? Drainage area of downspout: Top roof area: 150 sq.ft. Bottom roof area: 350 sq. ft. Total Drainage Area: 500 sq. ft. Drainage Area: Area of impervious surfaces draining to a specific point The surface area of your rain garden should be between 20% and 30% of the roof area (or other hard surface) that will drain into the rain garden.

Rain Garden Size Sandy soil – 20% 500 sq. ft * .20 = 100 sq. ft Silt soils = 30% 500 sq. ft * .30 = 150 sq. ft

Garden Calculators http://raingardenalliance.org/right/calculator

Layout of a Rain Garden  Rain gardens are highly versatile and can be constructed in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.  The shape of the rain garden often is determined by existing features such as the need to avoid structures, trees, and utilities.  Rain gardens can be shaped to fit available space and site conditions.

Developing a Planting Plan Berme: Drought- tolerant plants . Tolerate wet roots Tolerate some dryness

Pick Your Plants?  Salt tolerance  Height and width of full grown plants  Color and type of seeds, berries, flowers, or other growth  Species of wildlife you wish to attract  Coordination with existing landscape  Mix trees, shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses and turfgrasses