8/3/2019 Iowa; Rainscape It - Rainscaping Iowa

1/3

www.rainscapingiowa.org

Dont just landscape . . . Rainscape!RAINSCAPE IT!

CREATE BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES

THAT PROTECT WATER QUALITY

AND REDUCE RUNOFF.

8/3/2019 Iowa; Rainscape It - Rainscaping Iowa

2/3

Reducerunofffromy

ourproperty

withrainscapingpractices.

Downspoutsontodrivewaysan

dparking

l t

h

f t

t h

t t

d

ManageRainfall

Rainfallinurbanareasgeneratesrunoff

fromroads,driveways,sidewalks,stree

ts

andlawnswithcompactedsoils.This

stormwaterthenflowsintothestreet,down

thestormdrain,andthroughthestorm

sewer,eventuallymakingitswaytoloc

al

streamsandlakes.Alongthewayitpicksup

pollutantssuchasfertilizer,grassclipp

ings,

sediment,petwaste,oil,heavymetals

,

bacteriaandmore.Untreatedstormwa

ter

degradeswaterquality.

Youcanhelppreventthesepollutants

fromreachingstormdrainsandstream

s

byincorporatingrainscapingpractices

intoyourlandscape.

BeAwareofYour

HydrologicFootprint

Yourhydrologicfootprintistheamoun

t

ofwaterthatleavesyourpropertywhe

n

itrains.A

typicalsmallurbanlotreceiv

es

morethan200,000gallonsofrainwate

reach

year.Thatsenoughtofill4,000rainba

rrels.

Askarainscapertohelpyoureduceyo

ur

hydrologicfootprint.

o t

Raingarden

Waterthatshouldinfiltrateisoozingoff

compactedturfandintothe

stormdrain.

Downspoutsemptyingonto

yourdriveway

sendsrunofftothestreamandincreases

Rainsc

aping

Practi

ces

Thefollowingrainscapingpractices

helpcapturea

ndinfiltratestormwater,

reducingyour

propertysrunoff.

RainGardensand

BioretentionCells

Installaraingardenorbioretentioncellon

yourpropertyan

ddirectrunofftoit.Both

aredepressional,garden-likefeatureswith

amendedsoils.

RestoreS

oilQuality

Improveyourlawnsinfiltrationofrainwater.

New

turfareasrequiredeeptillage

followedbycom

postandseedorsod.

Aerateexistinglawns,thentopdresswith

athinlayerofco

mpostandgrassseed.

NativeLandscaping

Plantdeep-rootednativeflowersand

grassesinyourg

arden.Convertlargelawns

toprairie.Considernativeturfthatrequires

minimalmowing

,wateringandfertilizing.

Permeab

lePavements

Considerperme

ablepavementwhen

installingorrepl

acingparkinglots,

driveways,sidew

alksorpatios.

Rainwate

rHarvesting

Purchasearainbarreltopromotethe

captureandreuseofrainwaterforwatering

andirrigationpu

rposes.

8/3/2019 Iowa; Rainscape It - Rainscaping Iowa

3/3

THE STATE REVOLVING FUND PROVIDES LOW-INTEREST

LOANS FOR IMPLEMENTING RAINSCAPING PRACTICES.

www.rainscapingiowa.org

Let a Rainscaper guide you throughyour next landscaping project.

A rain garden is installed at the home of Bob Quinn, host of the Big Show on 1040 WHO Radioin Des Moines. Quinn and WHO help promote rain garden installations in Iowa.

landscapes and protecting our precious water resources.

management practices and understand the hydrologic

footprints of landscapes.

installation and maintenance of rainscaping features.