Runoff On Your Property

When it rains, every home generates runoff. To handle rain water, we choose to install gutters and downspouts that collect water running from your rooftop, and sump pumps that pumps infiltrating water some distance away from your foundation. Even though this system helps to ensure our homes do not flood, it results in a massive strain in the amount of stormwater volume entering our natural streams and rivers. The runoff volume leads to stream or river bank overtopping and high flow velocities cause streambank erosion.

There are many things we can all do to reduce the amount of runoff that leaves our property.  This helps the receiving streams cope with our runoff, especially during heavy downpours.

 

Downspouts

• Direct roof downspouts away from foundations and driveways to planting beds and lawns where the water can safely soak into the ground.
• Put splash guards on downspouts to help reduce erosion. Plant a rain garden and direct downspout to empty into rain garden.

 

 

Rain Gardens
Rain gardens are shallow depressions that are planted with native flowering plants and grasses, which not only look great, but also helps soak up rain water and melted snow. The runoff soaks into the ground rather than causing erosion or carrying pollution to the nearest lake or stream. For more information follow the WDNR RAIN GARDENS link.

 

Rain Barrels
A rain barrel collects rainfall running off a roof and stores it for future use, such as watering flowers and garden plants when the weather turns dry. Rain water can be better for plants than water pumped from the ground or piped through a city water main. It's not chlorinated, fluoridated or loaded with dissolved salts. Rainwater is mildly acidic, which helps plants take up important minerals from the soil. Properly maintained rain barrels do not provide breeding sites for mosquitoes or other pests.  Rain barrels are usually about 40-60 gallons. You can purchase commercially made ones, but many watershed groups sell them.