Private Property Resources

how to install a rain garden:

Are areas of your yard soggy after a hard rain? Does stormwater collect on your property from your roof, sidewalks, and driveway?

If you are looking for a way to lessen the impacts of stormwater runoff on your property, installing a rain garden could be a good choice.

A rain garden slows down stormwater so that it can be absorbed into the ground, reducing runoff. Rain gardens also help improve stormwater quality, since they retain runoff long enough for plants and soil microbes to reduce the pollution present in runoff.

Riverlink, a non-profit organization focused on improving the health of the French Broad River, has created an excellent guide to help you create your own rain garden: WaterRICH Rain Garden Handout.pdf - Google Drive

Their rain garden guide is a part of their larger WaterRICH initiative to help people understand and implement stormwater management. Find the WaterRICH program here: https://riverlink.org/work/waterrich/

NC Cooperative Extension also has a wealth of information to help you install a rain garden on your property: https://chatham.ces.ncsu.edu/rain-gardens/ The website covers site selection, design, and which plants to choose for your rain garden.

Their step-by-step guide walks you through the process of constructing a rain garden: https://chatham.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/RGmanual2015.pdf?fwd=noe

Image: https://extension.wsu.edu/jefferson/bob-simmons-rain-gardens/

other options for addressing backyard flooding:

There are several options you can take to address flooding issues on your property. One natural solution is to construct a rain garden, as explained above. The following article walks you through other tools you can use to address your private property stormwater issues:

How to Fix Backyard Flooding to Keep Your Yard Looking Spiffy 2022 (owntheyard.com)