Possible Cascade Rain Garden Sites

Walked around town Saturday in the rain, sizing up water flow and looking for good spots for rain gardens. I found several on city ground. Here are some pix that illustrate where the water runs and an explanation of how a rain garden might assist in holding it on the land for a short period of time, so that in a heavy storm it doesn’t roar into the river and contribute to flooding. Recently, I read that the whole state of Iowa was a collection of intermittent rain gardens, swampy spots farmers hate and are tiling the water out of. Those swampy spots are undoubtedly what made Iowa land so fertile, and once they are removed, it will undermine the composting processes that made our soil that way.

Immediately east of the second city  building directly behind the old hotel is bare spot that appeared to be retaining water and seems a most likely candidate. There would need to be little sculpting of the ground, so that the water it holds doesn't undermine the foundation of the building. It seems that mixing compost with the soil there would do the job. It could be planted with pampas grass, which gets ripped apart in the wind, unlike some of the other, better grasses that retain their pretty plumes well into winter. If you want an example, drive past my house, to the south along the sidewalk I planted pampas grass as part of my and compare the pampas grass with the cultivar of it that still has its plumes.

Another inviting possibility is along the old well-house. As can be seen from the photo, the road where the water runs is the alley that provides access to the apartment behind Main Street, and protected by the cement wall (at the top of this photo) that is clearly visible from the bridge. The problem with this site is obvious at a glance--the water runs down the road toward the river. To access the water, a person would have to have to pull up to the east (right) side of the building. Though the water can only be used for irrigation and watering down construction sites. It used to be Cascade City water, but now it is so laced with nitrates it can't be drunk. So this site would take a good deal more work to establish a rain garden, but a couple vigorous perennial bushes or grasses  would only shorten the road.

Of course, the purpose of a rain garden is to hold water for a short period instead of allowing it to rush into the river and curtail flooding.  Private homes and businesses provide ample opportunity for rain gardens as well. The first place to look is downhill of where the water runs off your house. (This is a lovely illustration from a book on the topic.) Water deftly selects the shortest distance with the least resistance between two points, so look to nature herself. 

The best possibility in town, it still seems to me is the section of the Legion Park that the city owns and is an (ersatz) "driveway." In really heavy rainstorms the water cuts a 6-in gulley in the sand and makes it almost impossible to drive on. The DNR would like a $50,000 fix (a grass paver system) that will cost the city $10,000 and any cost overruns and we must apply for a grant. A rain g arden would result in a lovely display of flowers and grasses visible from the pool.

Of course, not every lot can accommodate a rain garden. I might be tempted to try to squeezed one into the grassy section next to the B & B east of the bridge, and it might work, but it might also flood the owner's basement, so it is important to keep those sorts of practical considerations in mind. 

If you are interested in my opinion of what might work in your yard, garden or business, I will come out and look free of charge. Drop me a line at keyronmcd@yahoo.com or message me on Facebook.