Action Log - Takoma Park Rain Gardens

Takoma Park Rain Gardens

First Forest Park Rain Garden

Ed Murtagh
November 17, 2005

Friends of Sligo Creek and several community volunteers recently worked to install the first of two rain gardens at Forest Park in Takoma Park, MD. Most of the work was conducted during two succeeding weekends in early November 2005. We hope that this will be the first of many environmentally beneficial landscape projects on property owned by the city of Takoma Park.

Ed Murtagh and Bruce Sidwell load up their wheelbarrows.

About Forest Park
Forest Park is located at the corner of Prince Georges and Elm Avenues. Most of the upper portion of the park consists of impervious surfaces such as a blacktop play area and a very compacted grassy area. The lower end of the park consists primarily of bare, compacted soil interspersed with a few mature trees. Soil erosion is a tremendous problem at the park. Each time it rains, stormwater runoff from the upper portion of the park flows over the eroded and compacted bare ground at the lower end of the park. As it moves, it picks up sediment. Observations have shown that excessive sediment in the Creek is destroying aquatic habitat. This is because sediment build up can smother habitat and rob small tributary waters of oxygen, which is needed for underwater wildlife. In addition, the water does not become available to the trees, which need more moisture to survive and thrive.

About the Partnership
Friends of Sligo Creek, Takoma Park Public Works officials, and Montgomery County Department of Environment (DEP) staff agreed that Forest Park would be a good location to try our first joint rain garden project. Not only will the project reduce stormwater runoff, but the environmentally beneficial plantings will also create a natural, vegetated area which may provide food and shelter for wildlife. See the PDF file for the proposed landscape plan.

This rain garden project intends to accomplish the following:

To reduce the negative environmental impacts of stormwater runoff and to boost the environmental contributions that can be made using Environmentally Beneficial landscaping techniques and other Low Impact Development (LID) practices on public property in the city of Takoma Park, Maryland.
To educate the community at large about the problems of stormwater runoff and about the benefits of Environmentally Beneficial Landscaping (i.e. Bayscaping, Rainscaping) for both public property and their own back yards. Educational opportunities included volunteers getting hands-on experience installing the pilot rain gardens. We hope to use these rain gardens as showcases that can be used for future outreach efforts.
To improve the appearance of the community by the addition of color and interest.
To use this joint project and its resultant landscaping, as a model for other municipalities and public institutions in the region.

To accomplish these objectives, Friends of Sligo Creek agreed to design the landscape plan and to coordinate the volunteer workdays. Friends of Sligo Creek also agreed to provide public recognition for the effort.

The City of Takoma Park provided the property, and the Leafgro and top soil. The city also provided funds for the plants.

DEP will provide educational signage and help with a rainscapes workshop in the community.

The first phase of this project included installing a rain garden at the lowest portion of the park before the stormwater runoff enters a storm drain. The rain garden, designed by the local landscaping firm Natural Resources Design, Inc., features a curving heavy stone walkway that encourages the visitor to walk through the middle of the garden without trampling the plants or compacting the soil. A diversity of plants will provide color and interest as you walk through this little used portion of the park. By creating a layered natural area, wildlife habitat is created. Many of the shrubs selected (Aronias and winterberries) will also provide berries for migrating and over-wintering birds. Large stones were also placed at the outlet of the stormwater pipe to break up the runoff and stop the soil erosion. To ensure that the site stays weed-free and in good condition, a FoSC member agreed to "adopt" the rain garden. His job will be to monitor the site and help coordinate community weeding and planting days in the future. It has been our experience that during the first year, weeding is a critical maintenance activity.

Before and after photos of the park. Little of the rain water infiltrated into the bare compacted ground. Instead of rain water slowly entering Sligo Creek as cool clean baseflow, it entered Sligo Creek all at once as polluted runoff.

Before photo of the end of a storm drain. Erosion resulting from the runoff was not only a damaging the stability and beauty of the park, but also polluting Sligo creek with sediment.

After Photo of the end of the storm drain. The large stones were used to break up the flow before it enters the rain garden.

During our workdays, there was a good turnout from the community. Many families taking their kids to the playground stopped by the site to watch and many ask questions. We are planning on installing educational signage at the rain garden. Next year we would like to help coordinate a workshop on beneficial landscaping in Takoma Park and install the second planned rain garden at Forest Park.

Many of the kids in the playground were drawn by the new plants.

Before and after photos of the park. Little of the rain water infiltrated into the bare compacted ground. Instead of rain water slowly entering Sligo Creek as cool clean baseflow, it entered Sligo Creek all at once as polluted runoff.

Before photo of the end of a storm drain. Erosion resulting from the runoff was not only a damaging the stability and beauty of the park, but also polluting Sligo creek with sediment.	After Photo of the end of the storm drain. The large stones were used to break up the flow before it enters the rain garden.