On Earth Day, PRC and partners will install a rain garden in Kent Park to manage stormwater runoff and improve water quality.
The April 22 project — organized in collaboration with Delaware County Parks & Recreation Department, Delaware County Conservation District, Eastern Delaware County Stormwater Collaborative and Darby Creek Valley Association — is an extension of PRC’s comprehensive stormwater management initiative and is one of several rain gardens PRC will construct in southeastern Pennsylvania this spring.
“Rain gardens reduce flooding and stormwater pollution, improving water quality in our streams and rivers for aquatic life and recreational users,” according to PRC Executive Director Darren Spielman. “Since rain gardens feature water- and drought-tolerant native plants, there is little or no need to water plants after they are established in a rain garden.”
To date, PRC’s stormwater efforts in southeastern Pennsylvania have resulted in the installation of 75 rain gardens.
Rain gardens are shallow, planted depressions that collect runoff from impervious surfaces and allow it to infiltrate into the soil. The areas are planted with deep-rooted native plants and can absorb 30% more water than a traditional lawn. By capturing and absorbing runoff from yards, roofs and paved surfaces, rain gardens reduce the amount of water entering storm drains during rainstorms, which helps improve water quality. Rain gardens can filter many common pollutants in stormwater runoff and provide habitat for many birds, butterflies and beneficial insects.