The Rain Garden: A Biological Filter

Four senior Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering (BAE) students were tasked with designing a rain garden on the University of Kentucky’s (UK) campus near Kroger Field. Rain gardens have the ability to remove pollutants and impurities through biological processes in the soil, plant roots, and living organisms. The goal of the project was to build and install a rain garden that will function both as stormwater treatment as well as a recreational area and educational tool for the students and faculty of UK and BCTC as well as the Lexington community. Due to feasibility challenges faced with creating a to-scale model of a rain garden, the group spent the spring semester attempting to determine an ideal soil composition that allows for proper infiltration and detention time. As a result, the focus of this project shifted to developing a soil media standard for the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE).

Group Members

• Katharine Estep
• Michael Guy
• Claire Mackey
• Amanda Williams

BAE402 Senior Design Advisor: Dr. Sue Nokes

Biosystems Engineering Contact Points: Dr. Carmen Agouridis