Rain Garden Initiative

Black & Veatch is the environmental consulting firm that has a contract to build a rain garden program for the city of Fort Wayne, IN. From their website www.bvraingardens.com:

Rain Garden Economics 101

Rain gardens filter pollutants from stormwater run-off, lessen localized flooding during heavy storms, and enhance landscapes with native plants, but rain gardens also produce measurable economic benefits.

In Somerset, Maryland, where rain gardens were introduced in 1990, each residential property features a 300- to 400-square foot rain garden. Besides the ecological benefits and opportunity to showcase native plants, the Somerset project saved the city nearly $300,000 on curbs, sidewalks and gutters, traditional infrastructure features that were unnecessary with the addition of rain gardens.

In Seattle, an innovative project known as SEA Street for Street Edge Alternatives, transformed three blocks of a residential street into a cost-effective renovation. With 11% less impervious surface than the original roadway, the rain garden reduced construction costs substantially while enhancing the environment with 100 evergreen trees and 1,110 shrubs.

In Kane County, Illinois, researchers calculated that stormwater management in upstream areas, including the addition of rain gardens, would reduce the risk of flooding and boost property values from $14,538 to $36,345 per acre in downstream areas. The conservation initiatives would also eliminate the need for new concrete culverts, saving between $3.3 million to $4.5 million on infrastructure expenses.