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Reduce Your Runoff
By Bobbi Holm

Impervious surfaces have a tremendous impact on our environment because of the increased amount of stormwater runoff and the pollutants it can carry.  But we can mitigate those impacts.  A great place to start is by reducing the amount of runoff from your own property.  This is as easy as redirecting your downspouts.  If you have a downspout that empties onto a driveway or sidewalk that feeds the storm drain, consider moving it.  Letting it empty onto turf grass or a planting bed can keep that stormwater out of the storm drain.  You might need a downspout extension, such as a flexible tube, or maybe an elbow to change the direction it empties.  Either way, it’s relatively inexpensive.  Just make sure it continues to drain away from the building’s foundation to avoid dampness in the basement. 

If that alternative is too bland, go for some pizzazz and consider installing a rain garden.  Never heard of a rain garden?  It’s just another take on a beautiful, native flower/prairie grass garden.  And as an added bonus, it can help retain and filter the precipitation that falls on your property.  Essentially, a rain garden is a shallow garden dug to a depth of 4 to 8 inches and situated to intercept rainwater runoff from your roof or other impervious area.  It should be planted with native plant species which require no irrigation, fertilizer, or pesticides when established.  When appropriately designed and installed, rain gardens hold standing water for no more than 48 hours after a rainfall and aren’t a breeding ground for mosquitoes.  Considering that a native plant garden can attract birds and beneficial insects, a rain garden could help in the mosquito battle.

  
There are many resources available for those who would like to design and build their own rain garden.  University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension has three NebGuides to get you started, all available at http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/pages/index.jsp.

• "Rain Garden Design for Homeowners,” Franti and Rodie
• “Plant Selection for Rain Gardens in Nebraska,” Rodie, Franti, and Sutton
• “Installing Rain Gardens in Your Yard,” Franti and Rodie

“The Blue Thumb Guide to Raingardens,” Schmidt, Shaw, and Dods; “Iowa Rain Garden Design and Installation Manual,” Iowa Stormwater Partnership; and “Rain Gardens, a How-to Manual for Homeowners” from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and University of Wisconsin-Extension also have excellent information.  Have questions, need help? Call UNL Extension in Douglas/Sarpy Counties, 444-7804.