COMPOST : PART OF THE RAINSCAPES STRATEGY FOR REDUCING RUNOFF AND IMPROVING WATER QUALITY

Transcription

1 COMPOST : PART OF THE RAINSCAPES STRATEGY FOR REDUCING RUNOFF AND IMPROVING WATER QUALITY 7 th Annual Potomac Watershed Trash Summit Silver Spring, Maryland Ann English, RLA, ASLA, LEED AP RainScapes Coordinator Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection Watershed Management Division November 7, 2012

2 Dream Inspire Motivate Change Envision a world of healthy streams, rivers and oceans what compost amended landscapes look like? Knowledge on how to select a compost amendment strategy Determine next steps needed to expand the tools we use to reduce stormwater runoff

3 RAINSCAPES promote healthy soils Composting of plant waste on site amending disturbed soils to encourage native plant communities suitable for undisturbed sites

4 Is the land supposed to be a meadow? Or a forest? Or a wetland? What governs the plants that grow in any place? Soil Compost will improve the quality of almost any soil, and for this reason it is most often considered a soil conditioner. Compost improves the structure and texture of the soil enabling it to better retain nutrients, moisture, and air for the betterment of plants.

5 Rainscapes Techniques at home

6 WHAT DOES A RAINSCAPE LOOK LIKE? How does it function?

7 IMPROVE THE SOIL S CAPACITY TO ABSORB WATER PLACE THE CONSERVATION LANDSCAPE TO INTERCEPT THE WATER Place the planting bed 10 feet away from the foundation and downslope. Add a low berm (2 ) to slow the water and encourage it to soak in

8 HOW MUCH RUNOFF CAN I CAPTURE WITH A LANDSCAPE? VARIABLES: Slope Plant choices Soil Size of drainage area relative to your landscape Size of the planting area

9 Conditions prior to landscape 1 st Spring First Fall

10 Site prepped Compost in and Compost on

11 RHS - First summer/ fall

12 Steep site, before Conservation Landscape Steep slope after Conservation Landscape Terracing and native plants installed

13 Before Conservation landscape After Conservation landscape installation Rebate project Rain garden site before Rain Garden site shortly after planting

14 Rebate Program: Conservation Landscaping $250 - $750 per property Must convert min. 250 sf of turf area or invasive species to 75% native plantings Soil in planting areas must be decompacted and compost amended

15 Rebate Program: Rain Gardens $1,200 per property Sized to treat a minimum of the 1.5 rainstorm but the goal is to treat the 2.7 rainstorm volume from impervious surface contributing to rain garden (1 year storm)

16 Townhome Community Project 5 roofs of drainage

17 WHAT SOILS ARE IN A RAIN GARDEN? Recommend: Bioretention soil 50% sharp washed sand (ASTM-33) 25% topsoil (max. 10% clay content) 25% organics double ground shredded hardwood mulch or may be shredded pine (no fines) RainScapes uses LeafGro compost

18 WHAT NEEDS CLEAN WATER? Baltimore Checkerspot caterpillar Turtle hatchling Peeper frog Northern Green Frogs Cabarus diogenes

19 Designing for watershed health Soils create conditions for plants Plants are: living machines The key to new ways of managing stormwater Multiple benefit components Not understood by most Using a different plant palette (native) BEAUTIFUL (but that beauty can get lost without good design)

20 Rain Barrel Cistern Reuse store &irrigate Reduce - infiltrate Rain Gardens Permeable Pavement Tree Canopy Conservation Landscapes LID retrofits Watershed Restoration LID and RainScapes: Multi-benefit Solutions Tree Canopy Conservation Landscapes Green Roofs Recycle evapo-transpirate/reuse materials Rain Barrel Cistern

21 Check out our website for more info on designs

22 Questions?