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<br />step was 'to developed a design plan using the plant list <br />identified for our area and a "reading" of the landscape. <br />The final s'tage was installation of the plants and ground <br />cover material, and the redirection of the downspouts away <br />from hard surfaces towards the Rain Gardens. <br /> <br />Most of the lots in the neighborhood are typical of older <br />downtown settings. The majority of the area is comprised <br />of hard surfaces (homes, driveways, and sidewalks) with <br />little green space to treat or retain stormwater. The average <br />lot size is about 7,000 square feet with the majority of the <br />yard established in turfgrass. Downspouts are usually <br />pointed into small front or back yard areas or onto drive- <br />ways. During rain events the runoff water from the property <br />is pushed out of the downspouts into the small turfgrass <br />areas or onto the driveways were the storm water is able to <br />pick up additional pollutants as it makes its way to the <br />nearest storm drain. <br /> <br /> <br />Traditional lawn grasses, such as the common Kentucky <br />bluegrass, do not allow for as much infiltration or treatment <br />of runoff water as compared to the deep rooted native and <br />locally adapted plants that are used in Rain Gardens. <br />Traditional turfgrasses have root systems that reach <br />between 4 toS-inches while the grasses and forbs installed <br />in these gardens have root systems that expand down Root system comparison <br />between 1.5 to 8 feet. The role of the plant species in these <br />gardens is to remove the excessive nutrients and pollutants <br />in the runoff and take up the extra water in the soil through evapotranspiration. VVhile filling this <br />role, plants must be low maintenance, tolerate <br />urban stresses, and prosper when they become regularly flooded. The plant. species recommended for <br />Rain Gardens in our Ecoregion are detailed on starting on page 10. These plants are native to the area or <br />have adapted to the local climate. They have been shown to tolerate urban runoff, endure wet and dry <br />moisture regimes, and remove pollutants from stormwater. <br /> <br /> <br />.4 <br />