Everett Rain Garden Mystic River Watershed Association www.mysticriver.org
Agenda Brief overview of project and rain gardens Review of proposed sites Top sites we are pursuing Maintenance Next steps Rain Garden Plants!
Project Details Funding from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's 5 Star Restoration Program. MyRWA collaborative with the City of Everett and community members to build 1-2 rain gardens in 2012. Goals: Reduce pollution from impervious surface runoff Increase community knowledge of rain gardens
We want your opinion! We need your help! Locate and design the rain garden(s) Educate others about the benefits of rain gardens Help build and maintain the rain garden(s)
What is a rain garden? Rain gardens are vegetated areas that collect, absorb and clean stormwater runoff. Stormwater runoff is unfiltered water that reaches streams, lakes and oceans by flowing across impervious surfaces. These surfaces include roads, parking lots, driveways, and roofs.
Rain Garden: Design Feature Evaluation Visibility and traffic This is a pilot project we want it to get seen Slight slope, depressed area Environmental impact Treats stormwater draining from impervious area Opportunity for education and outreach
Community Meeting #2 Top 6 Sites 1. City Hall 2. Sumner G. Whittier School 3. Glendale Square 4. Parlin Library (Broadway and Chelsea St) 5. Allied Veterans Rink 6. Everett High School
After Some Review Top 4 Sites MyRWA is Pursuing Sumner G. Whittier School Allied Veterans Rink Kearins Playground Tremont & Bell Rock
After Some Review Sumner G. Whittier School Treat high volume of storm water 10'x10' planting bed could be cut into pavement High visibility and environmental impact, low cost
After Some Review Allied Veterans Rink High visibility, environmental impact, cost DCR owned property
Kearins Playground After Some Review Low visibility, low cost
After Some Review Tremont & Bell Rock side walk bump out between island and Floyd Street High cost Would lose parking
Whittier School DRAINAGE AREA STORMDRAIN
RAIN GARDEN AREA 200 S.F. OR 5% OF DRAINAGE AREA RAIN GARDEN 200 S.F. DRAINAGE AREA +/- 4000 S.F.
Allied Veterans Memorial Rink STORMDRAIN DRAINAGE AREA
WATER FROM ROOF WATER FROM HILL CURB CUT WATER FROM PARKING AREA Bio Swale approach
Kearins Playground STORMDRAIN DRAINAGE AREA
Kearins Playground
Bellrock and Tremont
Bellrock and Tremont
Top 4 sites WHITTIER SCHOOL -Relatively Simple to build. -Close to city hall very visible. -La Communid wants to help. ALLIED VETRANS MEMORIAL RINK -Best for water quality improvement! -Relatively complex to build. -Team with DCR on project? TREMONT & BELLROCK -Excellent water quality improvement! -Relatively complex to build. -High visibility close to Madeline English. KEARINS PLAYGROUND -Low water quality improvement. -Relatively easy to build. -Some what visible.
Rain Garden Maintenance Good gardening practice: Perennial gardening skills Water in dry weather until established Mulching: Will need to be raked periodically and replenished every Spring. Seasonal Clean-Up: In the fall remove dead vegetation. Cut back perennials in late winter(keep dead plant matter for birds and to protect root mass) Check plant health and variety - Make sure you have the plants you planted! Remove weeds and trash Avoid compacting soil Rain garden should drain in 24 hours. If infiltration rate slows, may need to dig up, till and replant
Rain Garden Maintenance: First year Water: Regular watering of plants through growing season of first year to ensure establishment of plants. Plants should be checked weekly in mild weather and every few days during hot dry weather and watered as needed. Weeding: Remove invasive weeds from planting area. Self seeding native plants and offspring from new native planting should be encouraged. Plant replacement: In late spring, inspect plants for survival and plant health. Remove dead plants and replace as needed. Pruning: Remove dead wood on plants to encourage strong growth and to assist in maintaining count of viable plants.
Second year: Rain Garden Maintenance: 2 nd and 3 rd year Plant replacement: Plant loss due to winter conditions - Replace plants as needed. - Stabilize plants; could conduct a plant inventory. Pruning: Same as first year Water: Check plants during hot dry weather and water as needed Weeding: Same as first year. Third year: Plant replacement: Same as second year. Pruning: Pruning can be discontinued and plants left to naturalize in third year. Large broken branches and die back from winter storms can be removed. Water: To maintain plant health plants should be observed during extreme dry periods and watered as needed. Since plants are native, watering requirements should be minimal.
Who can help maintain these gardens? Rain garden committee Enlist 1-2 classes for fall/spring work
Next Steps MyRWA is gathering information on: costs for building rain garden at sites Feasibility of Whittier School Possibility of working with DCR at Veterans Rink
Next Steps Finalize rain garden design drawings Select planting date(s) Will be in touch via Listserv: everett.raingarden@mysticriver.org Seeking volunteers: Plant selection Planting Maintenance
Questions? Next: Rain Garden plants! Katrina Sukola 781-316-3438 Katrina@mysticriver.org
Rain Garden Plant Considerations Mostly sunny, sunny, or partial shade Native, non-invasive species Resistant to the stress from both brief periods of pooling as well as dry periods between rainfall events. Include a variety of plants with large root structures to make your rain garden more effective and less susceptible to disease.
Do you love to garden? Opinionated about plants? MyRWA would love to gather input on what plants the community would like in the rain garden. Email Katrina@MysticRiver.org to get involved!
Rain Garden Plants Mostly Sunny Lower wetter section Astilbe biternata -False goat s beard Carex grayi -Gray s sedge Chelone glabra -White turtlehead Ilex verticillata -Winterberry Iris virginica -Blue flag iris
Rain Garden Plants Mostly Sunny Lower wetter section Lobelia siphilitica -Great blue Lobelia Panicum virgatum Dallas blues -Panic grass Dallas blues Pycnanthemum muticum - Broad-leaved mountain mint Symphyotrichum turbinellum - Prairie aster
Rain Garden Plants Mostly Sunny Mid range medium moisture Coreopsis rosea -Pink tickseed Iris cristata -Crested iris Iris setosa cv Nana Dwarf arctic blue flag Phlox glaberrima Smooth phlox
Rain Garden Plants Mostly Sunny Upper edge low moisture Asarum caudatum -Western wild ginger Carex platyphylla -Broad leaf sedge Spigelia marilandica -Indian pink Viola labradorica -Labrador violet Waldsteinia lobata -Piedmont strawberry
Sunny Rain Garden Plants Lower wetter section Herbaceous Plants Asclepias incarnata -Swamp milkweed Campanula americana -Tall American bell flower Iris cr -Iris species Lobelia ssp -Lobelia species
Sunny Rain Garden Plants Lower wetter section Herbaceous Plants (continued) Panicum virgatum ssp -Panic grass species Pycnanthemum muticum Mountain mint Rudbeckia subtomentosa Sweet coneflower Symphyotrichum turbinellus Prairie aster
Sunny Rain Garden Plants Lower wetter section Woody Plants Aronia floribunda - Chokecherry Clethra alnifolia - Summersweet Ilex verticillata -Winterberry
Sunny Rain Garden Plants Mid range - medium moisture plants Monarda ssp -Beebalm Penstemon digitalis huskers red - Beardtongue husker red Stokesia laevis -Stokes aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae New England aster
Sunny Rain Garden Plants Mid range - medium moisture plants Carex platyphylla -Broad leaf sedge Helenium autumnale -Sneeze weed Iris cristata -Crested iris Liatris pycnostachya Gayfeather, - prairie blazing star
Partial Shade Rain Garden Plants Lower wetter section Woody Plants Cornus sericea -Red twig dogwood Fothergilla gardenii -Dwarf fothergilla Hamamelis virginiana -Witchhazel Rhododendron canadense Rhodora, -native rhododendron Sambucus canadensis -Black elderberry
Partial Shade Rain Garden Plants Herbaceous Chasmanthium latifolium -Northern sea oats Eupatorium purpureum -Purple Joe-pye weed Iris virginica Southen - blue flag iris Lobelia cardinalis - Cardinal flower
Partial Shade Rain Garden Plants Herbaceous Osmunda claytoniana - Interrupted fern Polemonium reptans - Jacob s ladder Solidago flexicaulus Zig zag goldenrod
Partial Shade Rain Garden Plants Mid range medium moisture Adiantum pedatum - Maidenhair fern Aquilegia canadensis - Columbine Dicentra eximia -Wild bleeding heart Geranium maculatum -Wild geranium
Partial Shade Rain Garden Plants Mid range medium moisture Phlox divaricata -Woodland phlox Spigelia marilandica -Indian pink Viola labridorica -Labrador violet Zizia aurea -Golden Alexander