Rain Gardens
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 a habitat for wildlife such as native birds and butterflies.
Rain gardens are landscaped areas planted with wild flowers and other native vegetation to replace areas of lawn. They fill with a few inches of water and allow the water to gradually filter into the ground rather than running off into storm drains.
Holding back the runoff helps prevent rain water from washing off your yard, into storm sewers and retention ponds and eventually, into nearby streams and lakes carrying built-up chemicals and pollutants with it.
A shallow depression in your yard beautified with native flowers and grasses can also be thought of as your own personal water quality system because it filters the runoff from your roof and lawn and recharges the groundwater.
Rain gardens are green alternatives to expensive construction projects aimed at thwarting annual flooding. Rain gardens are a colorful way for homeowners, businesses and municipalities to help ease individual storm water problems and at the same time, purify Illinois’ Rivers.