Rain Gardens
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Near the foot of Wisconsin Avenue as you stroll in the park, you’ll find Rain Garden #1.
Rain Garden at the foot of Wisconsin Avenue
There are three rain gardens in Georgetown Waterfront Park, planted depressions which allow storm water to soak into the ground instead of flowing into storm drains and surface waters which can cause erosion, water pollution, flooding and diminish the amount of groundwater. The rain gardens contain shrubs, plants and grasses including Joe Pye Weed, Little Blue Stem, New England Aster, Upright Sedge, Little Henry Sweet-Spire, Arrowroot Viburnum and Butterfly Milkweed (and the many others).
Native plants are recommended for rain gardens because they generally don’t require fertilizer and are more tolerant of one’s local climate, soil, and water conditions. The Georgetown Waterfront Park rain gardens contain a selection of wetland edge vegetation, such as wildflowers, sedges, rushes, shrubs and small trees, which take up excess water flowing into the rain garden. Water filters through soil layers before entering the groundwater system. Root systems enhance infiltration, moisture redistribution, and diverse microbial populations involved in bio-filtration. Also, through the process of transpiration, rain garden plants return water vapor into the atmosphere.
Raingarden plantings
Rain Garden #2 plants detail
Rain Garden #2 after 1.4 inches of rain 09/27/09
For more information on rain gardens see Wikipedia.
