We’re not quite out of rainy season yet! You’ve probably already noticed the impacts the past two seasons have had on your property: during the months of January-April you probably already notice gutters straining, your yard feels like a marsh, and nearby streets and curbs are plagued with large oily puddles.
It may sound silly, but not all water is good water when you live in a region surrounded by multiple bodies of water. In the greater Seattle area, we receive nearly 40 inches of precipitation every year. It’s hard to make an arbitrary comparison to average rainfall in the US or even another US city, but if you were standing in 3.5 feet of water you wouldn’t consider that an insignificant amount.
Due to the high number of older homes located in the Seattle area, many neighborhoods do not have adequate infrastructure to handle rainfall when a large rain event occurs. A large rain event is defined as a large volume of rain in a short period of time. Extreme rain events overwhelm our stormwater processing system, therefore carrying what we call stormwater runoff or pollutants and sewage into our local waterways. We’re lucky to have a wonderful collection of city sponsored programs that promote green stormwater infrastructure, such as Seattle Rainwise and Shoreline Soak It Up. These programs offer rebate incentives to encourage homeowners and commercial properties to install green stormwater infrastructure to reduce the risk of pollutants being carried into our local waterways. Unfortunately, not every property is eligible. For example, newer homes are required to comply with updated stormwater codes, whereas older homes were not. This does not mean your property isn’t a viable option for a rain garden. With that being said, here are five options and alternatives to Rainwise so that you can do your part in keeping our Puget Sound and local waterways clean and healthy for us all.
1. Build a rain garden anyway.
If you don’t meet a program’s eligibility requirements, it doesn’t mean you can’t move forward with installing a rain garden in your yard! Quite in fact, RainWise makes their rain garden handbook publicly available on their website. As with any significant yard transformation or project, we recommend enlisting professional help to understand all of the specs required to successfully install a rain garden. Some components of this process may require a licensed contractor to install (such as connections to existing water infrastructure). No matter the size, a properly installed rain garden will contribute to solving stormwater and create a beautiful yard feature without being part of a larger city program.
2. Plant Native
Our native flora have been doing the job long before any of us were out of the crib, metaphorically speaking. You already know [how little a green lawn does for our environment], but even in the garden bed, native plants are more likely to amend the soil and provide deeper root structures that help slow rainwater runoff and filter out pollutants through absorption. Native fauna is also more adapted to our climate and soil diversity than non-native plants. Some programs, like [Soak It Up Shoreline], even have specific rebates for converting a certain percentage of your yard to native plants.
3. Install a rain barrel or cistern.
Just like we stated in point #1, you don’t need to be eligible for a stormwater program to install a rain barrel or cistern on your property–in fact, [rain water collection is completely legal in Washington state] (with a few exceptions and regulations). Rainwater collection keeps stormwater from overwhelming our systems and can be saved for use in your yard at your leisure, saving you on water bills during our driest months.
4. Get creative and explore other green infrastructure ideas.
Rain gardens and cisterns aren’t the only types of green stormwater infrastructure accessible to homeowners. In Vancouver, WA, two port employees came up with a [“rain garden in a box” system] that reduces the square footage green infrastructure requires while still performing the same function. Additionally, the City of Seattle offers [guides for building bioretention systems] in your parking strip. The simple act of having trees along a planting strip helps mitigate storm runoff and create habitat for our native fauna. Installing green roofs, swapping out asphalt and poured concrete for permeable surfaces like pavers and gravel, or even directing your downspout water to a dry riverbed…the possibilities are endless. While these options may seem small on an individual level, they all contribute to slowing the roll and letting our bigger city infrastructure catch up. Keep stormwater runoff on your property!
5. Go outside the box for financial help!
RainWise and Soak It Up Shoreline aren’t the only programs to offer financial support for folks interested in helping out the environment. King County also offers [Green Stormwater Infrastructure Mini Grants] to incentivize homeowners and the City of Seattle has a [Trees for Neighborhoods] program that provides free trees. Many of our local native plant chapters and conservation districts host annual native plant sales with budget-friendly pricing. Materials for a rain garden, such as cobble or arborist’s chips, can often be sourced for free via local neighborhood groups like Buy Nothing or Chip Drop.
Programs like RainWise and Soak It Up Shoreline have brought much needed attention to the issues facing our region, but there are so many more ways to do your part. While it might seem daunting, the resources and communities exist to help, and there’s never been a better place to explore them than in the beautiful Puget Sound. Don’t get discouraged–whether you’re installing a rain garden with SSG or forging an independent path, we’re right there with you.