Beautifying their Dundas property led husband and wife Steve Albers and Cathy Larson to install a raingarden in the fall of 2007.
The Rice Soil and Water Conservation District continually advocates for raingardens in the area. Raingardens, such as the one shown here, help minimize the amount of run-off rainwater with chemicals in it entering public waters. (Submitted photo)While the garden displays a variety of flowers and plants that attracts butterflies and hummingbirds, it also serves a practical purpose.
A raingarden is a shallow depression in the ground that collects rainwater, said Danielle Waldschmidt, stormwater technician with the Rice Soil and Water Conservation District.
Raingardens act as a filter to remove harmful chemicals and pollutants. Water that enters a raingarden is either used by the plants or percolates through the soil, refreshing the ground water supply, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Dick Huston, a representative of the SWCD’s board of supervisors, said raingardens play a key role in keeping Minnesota water sources as clean as possible.
He said for every homeowner who uses chemicals in their yards to get the greenest grass, those chemicals often wash away to the gutters, sewers and eventually, water.
“Stopping that and putting it in the soil ... the soil will help bleach that out and prevent that going into our lakes and rivers,” he said.
But it’s not only raingardens that can help mitigate issues with the quality of water.
Steve Pahs, district manager of SWCD, said rain barrels, a specially-constructed barrel aimed at collecting rainwater that pours out roof gutters, can help as well.
What’s best about rain barrels, Pahs said, is what’s good for the environment is also good for the pocketbooks of those who use the rain barrels.
“They help reduce the amount of water that runs off buildings and contribute to flash flooding on streams and lake levels,” he said. “They also, for the home owner, save them money because they don’t have to pay for that water.”
For those who do a great deal of watering around the house, whether the yard, plants or garden, the water collected by the rain barrels can help save on the water bill.
Beyond that, when water restrictions are put in place and residents are limited to the amount of water they can use, a rain barrel can come in handy for yellow grass.
The water is typically better for the plants, too, Pahs said, because the water isn’t as hard as the water being pumped from the ground.
According to the DNR, rainwater is naturally “soft,” because it doesn’t have chlorine, lime or calcium in it like municipal water does.
An update to the state’s impaired water list shows there are 3,049 impairments on 388 rivers and 647 lakes, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Impaired water is defined as water not meeting state water quality standards based on various criteria, including clarity and algae growth.
According to the most recent data provided by the MPCA, Rice County has 29 impairments.
Huston says the more raingardens and rain barrels spread throughout the area, the better the chance the waters have to improve.
“They’re really important,” he said.
