Rain gardens provide an attractive solution to water ponding and yard drainage issues. In urban and suburban settings, rooftops, roadways, and other paved surfaces cause water to move quickly across their surfaces. This increased rate of flow reduces the ability for water to soak into the ground and reach the groundwater system. Using these shallow depressions planted with native plants reduces the amount of water on the surface of your lawn and slowly filters water as it moves into the ground. Rain gardens are also pretty and inviting to wildlife such as butterflies and birds and are nearly maintenance free once established.

Native plants filter rain water removing sediment and nutrient pollutants from runoff. Every time it rains, water gushes from your downspouts across your lawn into local streets picking up pesticides, sediment, and nutrients before flowing into local storm drains. Depending on the slope of your lawn, rain may cause ponding or wetspots within your yard. Once in the storm drain system, polluted runoff is carried directly to the Blue River. Installation of a rain garden can reduce the flow of polluted runoff from of your property during the first flush of rain allowing water to slowly move into the groundwater system. The more water you retain on site, the less water flows across the land surface resulting in less sediment and nutrient polluted runoff flowing directly into the Blue River.

Find more information and resources view the Purdue Extension Rainscaping Education Program website along with resources for sustainable landscape design and management practices that prevents polluted runoff from reaching water bodies - directing stormwater to be absorbed by plants and soils.

Pervious pavement can be used for driveways, parking areas, sidewalks, road shoulders, boat ramps, and as part of decks or patios. Pervious pavement is thicker than traditional pavement; however, installation costs are lower resulting in an overall savings using pervious pavement. Pervious pavement requires no expansion to accommodate water moving through or across the pavement. This means that plants and weeds observed on traditionally-paved surfaces don’t occur in pervious pavement. Additionally, the light gray color associated with pervious concrete (one type of pervious pavement) reduces the amount of heat reflected from the paved surface on sunny days. On rainy days, pervious pavement reduces puddling and icing.

Pervious pavement is designed to allow polluted runoff to move through the paved surface into the soil surface below. Under typical rain conditions, 3 to 8 gallons of water per minute can move through each square foot of pervious pavement. Once water reaches the soil surface, the water is naturally filtered and pollutants are removed. Normal pavement forces water to run across its surface picking up sediment, nutrients, pesticides, herbicides and any other materials sitting on the pavement’s surface. Once this polluted runoff reaches the storm drain system, all of these pollutants are carried directly to the Blue River. By using pervious pavement, you can help keep the Blue River free from these pollutants.

Functional backyard wildlife habitats include three things: food, water, and cover. Provision of food and cover typically includes planting native vegetation on which local wildlife can thrive and incorporating thickets, shrubs, trees, and other vegetation. The sustainable gardening practices encouraged by the Natural Wildlife Federation’s Certified Wildlife Habitat Program encourages practices that hold water on your property, encourage the transfer of water from the surface water system, and often incorporate many of the practices identified as ways to Help the Hellbender.

Native plants, native trees, green roofs, rain gardens, and bioswales all provide food and cover for wildlife, while rain gardens and rain barrels can be used to supply water for wildlife. Organizations such as the National Wildlife Federation and Indiana Wildlife Federation have certification and recognition programs for homeowners and businesses who create functional backyard wildlife habitats. See more information about those programs in the links below: