Rain Gardens & Rain Barrels

Rain gardens and rain barrels are two separate things, but both are designed to achieve the same goal – which is to provide an opportunity hold back a small amount of rain from direct and immediate channeling to surface waters, or in our case within Medford Lakes Borough, our lakes.  

• A rain garden is a garden is a constructed depression consisting of planted native shrubs, perennials.  It is designed to temporarily hold and soak in rain water runoff that flows from roofs, driveways, patios or lawns.  Rain gardens allow the water to be filtered by vegetation and percolate into the soil recharging groundwater aquifers in a process that filters out pollutants before reaching our lakes.   
• A rain barrel serves a similar purpose, where the barrel retains the water from collected from rooftops and can used for irrigation of landscaped planting elsewhere on your property.  

Follow the links below to learn how construct either of these on your property!

Rain Garden

Rain Barrel

Rain Gardens and Rain Barrels

What is a Rain Garden?

The information on rain gardens has been adapted from the Groundwater Foundation, where additional information can be obtained.   

A rain garden is a garden of native shrubs, perennials, and flowers planted in a small depression, which is generally formed on a natural slope. It is designed to temporarily hold and soak in rain water runoff that flows from roofs, driveways, patios or lawns. Rain gardens are effective in removing up to 90% of nutrients and chemicals and up to 80% of sediments from the rainwater runoff. Compared to a conventional lawn, rain gardens allow for 30% more water to soak into the ground.

A rain garden is not a water garden. Nor is it a pond or a wetland. Conversely, a rain garden is dry most of the time. It typically holds water only during and following a rainfall event. Because rain gardens will drain within 12-48 hours, they prevent the breeding of mosquitoes. 

Why is Rainwater Runoff a Problem?

Every time it rains, water runs off impermeable surfaces, such as roofs or driveways, collecting pollutants such as particles of dirt, fertilizer, chemicals, oil, garbage, and bacteria along the way. The pollutant-laden water enters storm drains untreated and flows directly to nearby streams and ponds. The US EPA estimates that pollutants carried by rainwater runoff account for 70% of all water pollution.

Rain gardens collect rainwater runoff, allowing the water to be filtered by vegetation and percolate into the soil recharging groundwater aquifers. These processes filter out pollutants.

Additional Information & Building a Rain Garden

The Groundwater Foundation page includes the following links to University of Nebraska and University of Minnesota Resources for building rain gardens on your property:

• University of Nebraska NebGuide 1 – Rain Garden Design for Homeowners
• University of Nebraska NebGuide 2 – Plant Selection for Rain Gardens in Nebraska
• University of Nebraska NebGuide 3 – Installing Rain Gardens in Your Yard
• Backyard Farmer Video – Rain Gardens and Rain Barrels
• Minnesota’s Rain Garden Workbook for Homeowners

Rain Barrels

Installing rain barrels under downspouts is a low-cost way to help reduce runoff. Rain barrels collect rainwater from rooftops during each rain event. The collected water can then be used around the landscape. You can use the water to help irrigate gardens and plantings.  Rain barrels can also reduce runoff and non-point source pollution through capture of rainwater from the roof that would otherwise become runoff. Stormwater runoff picks up pollutants such as soil, lawn fertilizers, pesticides, trash, animal waste, road salts, chemicals, etc. and transports them to waterways. These pollutants impair waterways and can harm aquatic life and human health.

You can find more information on the benefits of using a rain barrel through the Penn State Extension Rain Barrels.

Rain barrels can be purchased commercially and can also be built as a DIY project.  Rutgers University Extension provides a Step-by-Step instruction on how to build a rain barrel HERE!

The Medford Lakes Environmental Commission can also make available a limited supply of materials for making a rain barrel.  If you are interested in rail barrel materials, please contact the Borough at 609-654-8898 and ask to be contacted by the Environmental Commission.