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Click on the picture to view a slide gallery.
Photos by K Smith
& Paula Ross
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Over a two-day period last weekend,
Washington Township volunteers installed a rain garden at the Washington
Township Public Library.
With assistance and direction from Rutger's
Cooperative Extension and the Raritan Highlands Compact,
members of the Garden Club of Long Valley and the Washington Township
Environmental Commission constructed a demonstration garden at
the Library located at 37 East Springtown Road .
With the full
support of the Library Board of Trustees and the assistance
from the Washington Township Department of Public Works, this was
a true community effort.
The goal of the demonstration garden is
to show residents an easy and attractive solution to stormwater
runoff. The Library's rain garden will collect runoff from
the roof downspouts, remove pollutants, and allow it to
slowly filter back into the ground. Colorful native plants in a
variety of sizes, shapes and textures make it an attractive addition
to the landscape.
The Raritan Highlands Compact is working with
community groups to educate residents about the use of
raingardens. “Stormwater
runoff is both a conduit and source of pollution to streams in
the developed areas of Morris County “ says Executive Director,
Tina Bologna. “Runoff from parking lots, roads, and lawns carries
pollution from fertilizers, pet waste, pesticides, oil and grease
directly to streams.”
The Raritan Highlands Compact is a nonprofit
organization led by a consortium of nine Morris County
municipalities working together to improve water resources in the
Upper Raritan River Watershed. The Upper Raritan watershed includes
portions of Chester Township, Chester Borough, Mendham Borough,
Mendham Township, Mount Arlington, Mount Olive, Randolph, Roxbury
and Washington Township.
"We were very excited to be part of this project," stated Kathy Smith, Chairperson
of the Washington Township Environmental Commission. "We hope that members of
the community will visit the garden and take away ideas of how they might incorporate
a rain garden on their own property.
 Rain gardens are a simple solution to runoff
pollution that takes stormwater out of the pipe and allows it to infiltrate
slowly through the soil and back into the groundwater. During infiltration,
many biological processes take place to remove pollutants from
the water. For example, plants in the garden will draw up some
of the nutrients and microbial action in the soil will remove pathogens
and break down petroleum products.
Rain gardens are inexpensive,
attractive, and easy to install. Homeowners, business
owners and government facilities can use rain gardens to minimize
impacts to streams. One small 300 square foot rain garden has the
potential to treat 25,000 gallons of runoff per year.
The Compact
will be constructing 5 demonstration rain gardens throughout
the watershed this fall and will provide guidance to individuals
and business interested in constructing a rain garden.
Funding
for this project was provided by the Leavens Foundation,
New Jersey Corporate Wetland Restoration Partnership, Morris
County Municipal Utilities Authority, and the Garden Club
of Somerset Hills. For more information, contact the Raritan
Highlands Compact at 908-879-5520 or email at or
visit this website to eventually download the
garden design/plant list and rain garden brochure.
This information will also be available at the Library front
desk. Members of the community are encouraged to visit
the garden to see how attractive this natural solution
to the stormwater runoff issue can work at their homes.
An educational program for the community is tentatively
planned in the Spring.
List of Native Plants Used in the Rain Garden
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Iris versicolor
Common Name: Harlequin Blueflag/Larger Blue Flag |
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Carex crinita
Common Name: Fringed Sedge |
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Ilex verticillata
Common Name: Winterberry Holly |
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Lobelia cardinalis
Common Name: Cardinal Flower
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Lobelia siphilitica
Common Name: Great Blue Lobelia |
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Juncus effusus
Common Name: Common Rush/Corkscrew Rush |
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Spirea tomentosa
Common Name: Steeplebush |
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Cornus amomum
Common Name: Silky Dogwood/Swamp Dogwood |
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Panicum virgatum
Common Name: Switchgrass |
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Rudbeckia laciniata
Common Name: Cutleaf Coneflower |
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Eupatorium coelestinum -
Common Name: Mist Flower |
| Visit the garden at the library and see if you can identify
specific plants. The appearance of the garden will change throughout the
year with the seasons and varying amounts of rainfall. |
Link
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