May 15, 2015Joanna Kappele

Saving Rain

As water shortages appear and drought envelops the west, we can all benefit from getting a little creative with capturing what water may fall.   Homeowners and Building owners can craft rain barrels and develop rain gardens and bioswales on their property.  Cities and Municipalities can develop community-wide strategic plans to prevent stormwater runoff. These solutions in turn protect our water resources, conserve water, help wildlife, contribute to reducing energy needs and carbon emissions. Plus they’re fun and beautiful ways to add charm to your surroundings.

Garage_Rain_Garden_In_Bloomfrench-oak-rain-barrel-with-overflow-hose-webhttp://www.co.monroe.in.us/tsd/Portals/0/Images/Garage_Rain_Garden_In_Bloom.jpg

Raingarden_yard

Raingarden_CommercialCourtesy of http://www.kitsapgov.com/sswm/rain_gardens.htm

From rainready.org

Why RainReady Matters

Most communities are affected by some combination of urban flooding, water shortage, or water pollution.

The impacts of these events on residents and the wider community can be devastating. RainReadySM practices are designed to be implemented quickly by targeting those properties suffering most. Practices can then be expanded incrementally as part of a long-term plan, so that all properties and streets eventually benefit from neighborhood improvements.

RainReady improvements should be cost-effective and take the pressure off towns and cities to invest in expensive and intrusive upgrades to existing water infrastructure.

Most importantly, rain readiness offers immediate, tangible benefits in all communities, regardless of size, location, geography, or weather patterns.

  • Homes that are structurally sound and secure
  • Upgraded sidewalks
  • Increased property values
  • More trees and greener yards
  • More parks and recreation facilities
  • Reduced noise and air pollution
  • Better public health

Learn more: Research by CNT in Cook County, IL, found that damage from urban flooding is frequent, widespread, and costly. Our analysis found that over 181,000 claims were made between 2007 and 2011 across 97 percent of Cook County ZIP codes. There is no correlation between damage payouts and location within a floodplain.

<div><a href=’http://www.houzz.com/photos/1283562/Rain-Garden-landscape’><img src=’http://st.houzz.com/simgs/2901677d0016cf8f_8-2214/landscape.jpg&#8217; border=0 width=’500′ height=’376′ /></a></div><div style=’color:#444;’><small><a style=’text-decoration:none;color:#444;’ href=’http://www.houzz.com/photos/landscape’>Landscape</a&gt; by <a style=’text-decoration:none;color:#444;’ href=’http://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architect/c/Seneca–SC’>Seneca Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers</a> <a style=’text-decoration:none;color:#444;’ href=’http://www.houzz.com/pro/ecoart/eco-art-llc’>Eco-Art, LLC</a></small></div>