MOUND, Minnesota — Stormwater drains are getting extra work this year, and with more rainfall in the forecast this week, it’s put certain a problem front and center. So how can we reduce stormwater runoff? And why is it a concern?
Foliage with function highlights Julie Weisenhorn’s home, but it didn’t always look this way.
“Prior to this project, the house and the garage were not connected. And we had asphalt covering this entire area and between the two buildings,” she said while standing on her driveway.
Connecting the house and garage was the perfect time for them to set roots on a solution to their runoff problem.
“We created a rain garden to collect and hold (water), allow to seep in, allow to percolate in,” said Weisenhorn, an extension horticulture educator with the University of Minnesota.
It starts with downspouts into a couple rain barrels. When the barrels overflow, they drain into pipes underground. The pipes lead to the rain garden where plants are eager to soak up the water, and a specific soil type lets it seep into the ground. Between the barrels and garden, about 400 gallons can be held. The water stays on her property and away from her neighbor, Lake Minnetonka.