Released March 18, 2009
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — In an effort to protect water resources, Carolina Clear, a stormwater education and awareness program of the Clemson University Restoration Institute, has published a rain garden manual to help homeowners and gardeners across the state manage their yard and rooftop runoff.
The 16-page manual is available for download free of charge from the Carolina Clear Web site, http://www.clemson.edu/public/carolinaclear/, or you can buy a bound copy through Clemson for $4. For more information visit the Web site.
The popularity of rain gardens has grown enormously as more people become aware of the affects of their homes and yards on nearby water bodies, said Katie Giacalone, Carolina Clear’s statewide coordinator.
Nevertheless, stormwater remains the greatest threat to our surface waters, Giacalone said.
As development spreads, so does the area of impervious surfaces, such as roads, roofs, parking lots, driveways and sidewalks. Water that runs over these surfaces picks up pollutants along the way, which are carried to lakes, rivers and estuaries. These pollutants include bacteria, nutrients, litter, sediments, oils and metals.
Runoff that is heated by these hard surfaces also can lead to warmer-than-normal water entering waterways, harming fish and vital aquatic organisms.
Correctly constructed rain gardens let nature help with the problem. They remove pollutants that otherwise would affect water quality and allow stormwater runoff to slowly infiltrate the groundwater table.
Rain gardens absorb excess nitrogen and phosphorous in stormwater and trap sediment while biological processes filter out other pollutants.
These natural processes happen in every well-built rain garden, which can be installed easily at homes and businesses, Giacalone said.
Carolina Clear’s manual details how to build a successful rain garden and leads the reader through site selection, design, planting and maintenance. The manual identifies dozens of shrubs, trees, perennials and grass that can be planted in gardens across the state’s diverse regions.
There are tables to calculate how much mulch to use and examples of rain garden designs.
“Building rain gardens is something entire neighborhoods can do to reduce how the environment is affected,” Giacalone said.
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http://www.clemson.edu/newsroom/articles/2009/march/rain%20_garden_manual.php5
Contacts: Peter Hull, 843-554-7226, ext. 118, phull@clemson.edu
Katie Giacalone, 843-554-7226, ext. 115, kgiacal@clemson.edu
