Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, City of Westerville, Central Ohio Rain Garden Initiative, and The Ohio State University implemented a network of 21 rain gardens in a subdivision in Westerville. Storm water flow data has indicated an average storm water quantity reduction of
37% through the use of the rain gardens. The residents maintain their own rain gardens, and the Franklin County Master Gardeners maintain the right-of-way rain gardens.
This project has been a fantastic example of public service agencies working together to educate the public, implement a project, and provide a template forfuture projects. The end goal is to provide modeling predictions for municipalities and other agencies to duplicate. Inquiries about the project and how to set one up have come from: municipalities from across the state, the US Army, Center for Watershed Protection, Cleveland Metro Parks, and many others.
Project costs were provided by the Ohio EPA’s Environmental Education Fund and the Ohio Water Development Authority. The educational component and residential rain gardens used almost $50,000 in grant funding and almost $25,000 in in-kind services, mostly from Franklin Soil and Water and the City of Westerville. The research grant component has used $75,000 to date.
Click here to read a peer-reviewed article published on this project in 2014
Click here to read our own summary of the project published in 2012