Local Government Rain Garden Programs: Puyallup's

In a previous post, I talked about Kitsap County's program that provides financial incentives to property owners to install rain gardens.

I think this is a very good direction for our region - if we can replace significant portions of turf and impervious surfaces with numerous distributed, small-scale rain gardens (both on residential and commercial properties) I think we can really reduce overall surface volumes, peak flows, and many contaminants. In basins with combined sewer overflows, we can significantly reduce overflow events and volumes, and begin to reach state goals in a more cost-effective manner. We can begin to address runoff from existing development, which is an overwhelming, expensive, and needed action. We can better protect commercial and recreational shellfish growing areas from bacteria-laden runoff from developed lands. We can systematically beautify neighborhoods. We can strategically target 303(d) listed waterbodies and salmon streams threatened by runoff. And we can engage and empower citizens in our protection and recovery efforts.

In the next few postings, I'll highlight other local government rain garden programs.

Next up: The City of Puyallup's ongoing series of rain garden installations. Here's how their program works: The city seeks 6-8 adjacent neighbors who are willing to install rain gardens in their front yards. They seek neighborhoods in drainages that have documented water quality issues.

In September they completed their third such installation. They installed rain gardens at six homes in a neighborhood that drains to Clarks Creek, which has a fecal coliform TMDL and is undergoing a dissolved oxygen TMDL. The creek is also an active salmon spawning stream.

When installations occur, the city turns it into a community event and teaches about other key issues, like natural lawn care and fish friendly car washing. They also install storm drain markers and plant riparian areas. At the September event Ciscoe Morris broadcast his radio show from the site. The installations are fully subsidized by the city.

Three more installation events are planned for the next year.

For more information about the city's rain garden installation events see: http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/services/development-services/puyallups-stormwater-management-program/puyallup-rain-gardens/

For more information about future events, contact Tim Parham at tparham@ci.puyallup.wa.us or call (253) 841-5556. For information on volunteering at installation events and other stormwater-focused events, contact Melissa Buckingham with the Pierce Stream Team @ melissab@piercecountycd.org or call (253) 845-2973.