Manchester rain gardens featured on regional map

This rain garden was completed in 2011 and is located in the Iron Creek area. Gardener-submitted photo featured on Rainscaping Map.

by Sara Swanson

Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office recently announced that they, in partnership with the Friends of the Rouge and Washtenaw County’s GIS program, have launched an interactive map that records and displays residential projects that capture and filter stormwater runoff. This map allows residents to see the rain gardens in their communities, including multiple rain gardens in the Manchester area.

The map is available to view at https://gisappsecure.ewashtenaw.org/public/rainscaping

The County’s press release states, “Gardeners love to see other gardens. It is how we learn, get inspired, and get ideas. Now you can see the rain gardens your neighbors created in one map, without leaving the comfort of your own home. Gardeners all over southeast Michigan have entered their photos to be included in a beautiful map to satisfy our eye, and curiosity.”

When water runs over hard surfaces like roofs, roads, and driveways, it picks up pollution. This is known as non-point source pollution. It cannot be narrowed down to a single point like a factory outlet pipe. It is spread out over the landscape, and rainwater picks it up as it flows over the land. The pollution includes heavy metals from brake dust and phosphorus from fertilizers.

A rain garden is an attractive landscaping feature planted with perennial native plants. It is a bowl-shaped or saucer-shaped garden, designed to absorb stormwater run-off from impervious surfaces such as roofs and parking lots. Rain gardens can be small homeowner–style gardens, large complex gardens, or anywhere in between.

Rain gardens mimic the cleansing properties of forests and fields in more populated areas. In one research study, rain gardens removed more than 99% of oil and grease that was mixed in the stormwater. The map quantifies the good rain gardens do — by adding up all our contributions. Together, they make up 11.6 million gallons — and counting! — of rain that is soaked in and filtered every year. That is the same volume as 2,900 tanker trucks lined up — a line of trucks that would stretch for 44 miles.

If you are interested in building a rain garden yourself, Washtenaw County offers free master rain gardener classes a few times a year as well as a free recorded class that you can complete any time! Information for both is available at https://www.washtenaw.org/675/Master-Rain-Gardener-Class. Additionally, Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office is committing its support to promoting rain gardens so much, staff will come out and give individualized advice to residents in Washtenaw County, for free. Call Susan Bryan at (734) 222-6860 to set up a time for them to “virtually” visit your yard and talk rain gardens or schedule an appointment online at https://www.washtenaw.org/706/Request-a-Design-Visit.

Do you already have a rain garden and would like to be added to the map? Visit https://rainscaping-in-southeast-michigan-washtenaw.hub.arcgis.com/, answer a few questions, and upload photos of your project to get added to the map.

This residential rain garden in Manchester Township was completed in 2013. Gardener-submitted photo featured on Rainscaping Map.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.