Western City July Issue by Western City Magazine

Elk Grove Rain Garden Plaza Showcases Water Conservation, continued

Making Water Conservation Educational and Fun The Rain Garden Plaza features a quarteracre rain garden with a dry well to enhance groundwater recharge, a paved plaza area composed primarily of pervious pavers that allow water to pass through, and a shaded picnic area that serves as a quiet community gathering place. The site uses California native droughtresistant plants to encourage sustainable landscaping, attract butterflies, birds and bees and promote water conservation. Fitness equipment is stationed on synthetic lawn that allows water to permeate the soil below. Fact-filled, colorful interpretive signs illustrate and provide information on various stormwater management techniques. An interactive sculpture, decorated with tiles painted by local schoolchildren, showcases different types of pervious and impervious surfaces. The Rain Garden Plaza demonstrates several ways that stormwater moves through natural terrain. The low-impact development features slow the flow of stormwater and allow it to be absorbed by native

plants before making its way toward the lowest point of the site, the rain garden. This design mimics the natural processes that occur in undeveloped watersheds and serves as a model of how residential and commercial development projects can be designed to conserve water. “The plaza was built to educate the public by showcasing various innovative stormwater management techniques and sustainable landscaping practices used to promote water conservation and groundwater recharge, create wildlife habitat, improve water quality and protect downstream aquatic resources,” says Darren Wilson, engineering services manager for Elk Grove. “By applying these techniques and practices at their own residences and businesses, people can contribute through reducing their carbon footprint.” The plaza’s design replaces typical roof downspouts with decorative waterharvesting rain chains that hang from the shade structure’s roof. The rain chains capture runoff and convey it to a rain barrel to hold water for future irrigation.

Looking for budget Balancing tools?

Visit P ARS a t booth 6 2 3 in Los Angele s

More than 600 public agencies have chosen PARS for retirement solutions that help save money, such as: • OPEB prefunding trust to reduce healthcare liabilities • Social Security alternatives for part-timers to save 79% • Leave conversion plans to reduce large payouts at end 800.540.6369 x 116; mbarker@pars.org www.pars.org

During its first rainy season in late 2012 and early 2013, the Rain Garden Plaza retained all water on-site from storms with one inch or less of rainfall during a 24hour period. And 100 percent of the site runoff is treated in the stormwater quality features, avoiding costly underground mechanical devices.

Building a Sense of Community Ownership The community has embraced the Rain Garden Plaza, and the public was involved with the development of the project from its inception, including the overall organic design and public art displays. More than 1,000 local elementary-school students from 32 classes and 14 schools handpainted tiles to help accent the plaza with a message about water quality and aquatic resource protection. Volunteers planted much of the landscaping as part of a community volunteer day, which helped to create a sense of community ownership. Throughout the year visitors can be seen watching the hummingbirds and butterflies that frequent the garden and its numerous native flowering plants. Employees from nearby businesses often use the fitness equipment and eat lunch under the shade structure. Residents, students and community groups are regularly seen walking the boardwalk, enjoying the interactive art sculpture, viewing the water-harvesting technologies on display and discovering new facts about stormwater pollution prevention from the colorful interpretive signs and educational tours. continued on page 26

More Resources Online For more information and links to related resources, read the online version of this article at www. westerncity.com.

League of California Cities