RAIN GARDEN

What is a Rain Garden?

A rain garden does not grow rain! But it does collect it and clean it. Rain gardens work like living filters, collecting and treating stormwater runoff from rooftops, driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, streets, and lawns.

Can you see the sunken basin shape of this rain garden? Its design helps it to capture runoff and settle and filter out sediment and pollutants.

Runoff is piped, channeled, or directed to the basin, where it is temporarily stored until it slowly seeps into the soil.

Why do we need Rain Gardens?

Rain gardens keep our watersheds healthy by…

Reducing flooding as they absorb rainwater from hard surfaces

Filtering oil, grease, and toxic materials before they can pollute streams, lakes, and rivers

Recharging groundwater aquifers by allowing water to soak into the ground

Providing beneficial wildlife habitat

Vine Maple

Acer circinatum

Nootka Rose

Rose nutkana

Golden Currant

Ribes aureum

Red Twig Dogwood

Cornus sericea

catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9207/html

The Oregon Rain Garden GuideA rain garden is a "garden with a purpose"; it helps reduce the amount of excess water and associated pollutants entering local lakes, streams, and bays. The result is healthier waterways, fish, other wildlife, and people. This how-to guide provides information specific to Oregon's conditions, including the rainfall and appropriate plants for your site. It will help you design and build a rain garden to treat the stormwater runoff from your own home or business. You don't have to be a landscape professional to use this guide.

Portland rain garden exampleTake a guided tour through a rain garden to see the variety of ornamental and edible plants that do well in the flooded and dry areas. Learn how this type of landscape reduces rainwater runoff at your home.