Rain Gardens Infiltrating Wisconsin!

Build your own Native plant lists Kids Articles

Rain gardens are a way for homeowners as well as businesses to participate in the reduction of polluted runoff, simply by planting a specialized garden. Rain Gardens are an infiltration technique - water is captured in a garden that features native plantings, and the water has a chance to slowly filter into the ground rather than run off into the storm sewer. It is a popular way to reduce nonpoint source pollution and protect our lakes and streams.

These photos are from a rain garden installed in a shallow depression at the Willy Street Coop in Madison, Wisconsin. The pictures were taken when the garden was just planted.

Click on the images for enlargements.

Build your own Rain Garden!

• "Rain Gardens: A how-to manual for homeowners" [PDF 3.1MB] by Roger Bannerman, DNR
• University of Wisconsin-Extension - Home and Garden Clean Water Practices website [exit DNR]
• Information on Smaller Rain Gardens - Get your feet wet with a little bitty rain garden
• "Build Your Own Rain Garden" by Applied Ecological Services [PDF 1.62MB]
• "Rain Garden Design and Installation" by Applied Ecological Services [PDF 6.21MB]
• "Design Guidelines for Stormwater Bioretention Facilities" by Dustin Atchison, Ken Potter, and Linda Severson
  • A basic bioretention facility is commonly referred to as a rain garden. It is a landscaped garden in a shallow depression that receives storm water from nearby impervious surfaces.
  • This manual provides design guidelines and a numerical model (RECARGA) that can be used for creating bioretention facilities for small-scale stormwater management that promotes infiltration of storm water in order to reduce its volume, improve its quality and increase groundwater recharge.
  • Available at the UW Aquatic Sciences Center website [exit DNR]

Wisconsin Native Plant Lists for Raingardens

• "Wisconsin Native Plant Sources and Restoration Consultants" [PDF 2.5MB]
• "Plants for Stormwater Design" by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency [exit DNR]
• Search for native plants by name, height, color, bloom months, moisture/light habitat, specialty, or class
  • Raingarden plants: Interactive web page | [PDF 1.4MB]
  • Shady Raingarden plants: Interactive web page | [PDF 270KB]

Get Kids Involved!

• Here is a link to an educator's site with lesson plans on protecting water quality:
  • Rodale Institute Kids & Families [exit DNR]
  • Water Wise Kids - A Growing Solution to Water Pollution: Invite kids to respect rain, ponder puddles, and build healthy gardens to filter filth! [exit DNR]

Need an article about rain gardens for your newsletter?

• Article with photographs [PDF 351KB]
• Article without photographs [PDF 34KB]

Other information

• The Department of Natural Resources has many programs to address polluted runoff from nonpoint sources (those not traced to a specific polluter), considered to be the largest threat to water quality in Wisconsin. To learn more about these activities, please browse the Runoff Management web site.
• Recycled building material used to make rain garden (WSJ, Apr-03)
• Links to Other Rain Garden Sites

Contact Information

For more information about this page, please contact: Terry Lohr 608-267-2375