In cities, stormwater can be a real problem. Impermeable surfaces prevent absorption of heavy rains and melted snow, leading to overflowing storm drains and flooding. One solution is the intoduction of more greenery in urban areas; planting trees is one way to achieve this, and increasingly, municipalities have also been installing rain gardens as a great way to both capture rain water and beautify the cityscape. Rain gardens are shallow depressions planted with native vegetation that can capture, drain and filter excess storm water in a short period of time.
In Kansas City, Mayor Kay Barnes has started a regional, voluntary initiative called 10,000 Rain Gardens to engage citizens in a plan to better manage stormwater. The city encourages homeowners, businesses and churches to plant rain gardens on their property, and starting in September, a philanthropic fund will begin financing garden installation on public and community grounds, as well as launching outreach and education programs. They're also encouraging people to paint barrels and create "rain banks" to save water "for a sunny day."
According to a spokesperson for the initiative:
The first campaign in the spring had an impact on awareness of the impacts of pollution running intro sewers and flowing untreated into streams. A recent survey revealed that Kansas Citians are among the most educated in the nation about where pollution in streams comes from, with 41% correctly citing stormwater runoff as #1 in non-point source pollution. That was a double-digit increase from the previous survey completed six months before the "10,000 Rain Gardens" campaign began.
After Kansas City experienced the warmest January on record, the idea of building rain gardens was appealing as a simple, beautiful and effective way to keep polluted runoff out of sewers and streams. Planting native prairie flowers and grasses became a way each homeowner could participate in serving the greater good.
