Rain Gardens

Rain Garden at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, IL

Community volunteers and staff from NGRREC, LCCC and Pride Inc. help plant the campus rain garden

Take a look around the next time you walk across a paved parking lot. Every time it rains, a slurry of transmission fluid, oil, radiator fluid, and brake dust that have accumulated on parking lots and other impervious surfaces are washed into our streams and rivers. Because impervious surfaces prevent water from soaking back into the ground, most of the storm water flows in large sheets into our streams and rivers. These large amounts of fast-moving water also erode stream banks and contribute to one of the main threats facing our nation’s waterways: sedimentation.

Rain Gardens can transform your storm water problem areas into beautiful, functional landscapes. Rain gardens are blossoming across Illinois as a low-cost method of improving water quality while preventing flooding and drainage problems. They make good use of rainwater runoff, native perennial flowers and grasses, and create habitat for wildlife such as native birds and butterflies.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Do rain gardens harbor mosquitoes?

No! It takes 10 to 14 days for a mosquito to mature from an egg into an adult. A rain garden should drain completely in 24 hours. There is no chance of mosquitoes successfully breeding in a well-draining rain garden.

Are rain gardens high-maintenance?

Rain gardens require regular watering, weeding and mulching during the first year until the plants are established. After that, all that is needed is a little upkeep to weed and replenish the mulch.

What are the benefits of rain gardens?

In addition to providing a pleasing landscape, rain gardens are great wildlife habitat and help remove pollutants from storm water. They also recharge groundwater by allowing rainwater to soak back into the ground. Because rain gardens absorb 30% more water than traditional lawns, they help redirect flooding and reduce storm water runoff.

Interested in learning more? Check out these helpful websites:

West Michigan Rain Gardens

Rain Garden Network

Illinois Native Site

Lt. Governor Pat Quinn’s Rain Garden Initiative

Wisconsin Dept of Natural Resources

NC State Cooperative Extension