The Panhandle has experienced a significant amount of rain lately. It seems like there isn’t a day that goes by in which even walking out the door seems impossible due to the downpour. While this is hard enough for the people living in the area, without a mitigation strategy, your lawn and landscapes may be suffering just as much. The good news is that there are several methodologies to usher the excess into local surface water reservoirs.
The Issue
Before we get started, let’s first talk about why storm water needs to be managed. Storm water can be defined as any rainfall failing to infiltrate the soil. In short, it is water that flows from your property onto impervious ground into storm water drains and ultimately into the Gulf of America.
This water can and will carry pollution from houses, pet waste, and heavy metals, amongst other things, into our local waters. All of that is before we even account for nitrogen moving from the atmosphere during these storms. All of this may be detrimental to local aquatic populations, ultimately leading to eutrophication due to excess nutrients. In the worst cases, these nutrient-rich waters cause red tide, which limits recreational use and fishing in our area.
The good news is that homeowners can take specific actions to mitigate the risks associated with storm water. The three primary types of these are rain gardens, swales, and rain barrel catchment systems.
Rain Gardens
A rain garden is an area planted with vegetation designed to prevent mass water flow on your property. They may be sited in multiple locations, including sloped yard areas, or those in which you notice pooling following a rain event.
Carve out the area and backfill with porous soil materials. The plants you’ll want to select for this garden should be able to tolerate drought followed by periods of flooding. One solid strategy for this mitigation system is to direct the downspouts from your house into one of these garden spaces. Between the turfgrasses planted along the water’s path and the root systems of the plants within the rain garden, storm water will be pushed through a biofiltration system while being redirected from the local watershed. To learn more about rain gardens, consult these document.
UF/IFAS Photo: Theresa Watkins
Swales
Swales are like rain gardens in that their primary purpose is to redirect water flow. While these may be outfitted with vegetative plantings termed bioswales, the highway for water flow in traditional swales typically consists of turfgrasses.
These are quickly draining soils, aided further by the thick root masses inherent to grass. Where they differ from rain gardens is in the amount of work they require. Critical to this system is selecting turfgrass species suitable for the site and applying the correct water, fertilizer, and mowing practices. These practices allow for strong and stress-free grass growth.
Rain Barrels
Last, though certainly not least, are rain barrels. These may be found at the downspout of gutter systems attached to houses. Their purpose is to collect the stormwater flowing from the roof. They can be a handy tool in eliminating stormwater runoff. To learn more about designing rain barrel catchment, consult this document.
UF/IFAS Photo
Stormwater is a significant concern in our lawns and landscapes. If allowed to go unchecked, it provides an avenue for pollutants and excessive nutrients to enter our waterways. Implementing the strategies in this article can significantly reduce these risks. For more information on stormwater management or any horticulture topic, refer to your local Extension office.
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