What is FOLW doing to promote rain gardens?
FOLW and partners facilitated the construction of a rain garden street demonstration project in the Vilas Neighborhood, where rain gardens are dug in the terrace, between the street and the sidewalk. Unlike typical rain gardens that collect roof runoff, these gardens capture runoff from the street. Street runoff dumps a lot of dirt and excess nutrients into Lake Wingra and many other lakes and rivers. (Storm sewers are simply concrete pipes; water in them isn’t cleaned in any way.) Making a dent in street runoff with something as low tech as a garden is an idea with remarkable potential. A rain garden is a green machine that’s cheap and effective. The tough question is how to create gardens that look good and are easy to maintain. With this project, we hope to find some answers.
