Volunteers, students, neighbors, cities, and counties are helping WSU Extension staff and volunteers build rain gardens across the Olympic Peninsula. More than 165 volunteers helped build 10 rain gardens between 2015- 2018. The goal? To reduce the amount of polluted stormwater reaching the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Port Townsend Bay, and Hood Canal.
Non-point source pollution and stormwater runoff are the largest source of contaminants to Puget Sound affecting our rivers and streams, degrading water quality and healthy habitats. The Washington Department of Ecology estimates that Puget Sound Puget receives between 14 and 94 million pounds of toxic pollutants annually via stormwater runoff that flows off our yards, driveways, roads, and parking lots. This includes pollutants such as petroleum products, pesticides and fertilizers, sediment, heavy metals, and nutrients, which are swept into waterways by stormwater runoff. Inexpensive stormwater strategies, such as rain gardens, are an effective way to address stormwater issues at the residential scale.
Bob Simmons, Extension water resources faculty, scouts the Olympic Peninsula for strategic locations for rain gardens. He looks for places where contaminated water runoff flows directly into the Salish Sea and seeks funding to build rain gardens in those locations. Then he engages nearby homeowners, city or county staff and the local Marine Resources committee who allow site access and provide resources such as funding for plants and staff time, materials (rock and soil), excavation work, and other resources as appropriate to each project. WSU volunteers from Master Gardeners, Beach Naturalists, and Stream Stewards, as well as local school groups pitch in to help build and maintain rain gardens.
The rain garden soil, a mix of compost and sand, is key to reducing the flow by allowing water to soak in instead of running off down the street. The compost helps with purifying the water. Erica Guttman, senior extension coordinator, designs the site-specific planting plans using plants able to handle flooding during the winter and spring and withstand our dry summers.
Residents and volunteers attend workshops to learn how to design, install and maintain rain gardens. Then they get hands on experience building, planting and maintain rain gardens. Educational signs are posted letting everyone know the purpose of the rain gardens.
Learn more at extension.wsu.edu/raingarden.