It's raining, it's pouring
Heavier rains increase flood costs for homeowners and businesses. Rain runoff also carries fertilizers, pesticides and pollutants to streams, lakes and the ocean.
Rain Gardens provide climate resiliency
Rain gardens capture storm water runoff from parking lots, driveways and roofs. By absorbing surface water, these gardens reduce flooding and protect our drinking water.
Madison has several rain gardens with more planned downtown. Kathleen Caccavale, Sustainable Madison Chair, can testify that the gardens are helping our town: “I visited the rain gardens at the Madison Recreation Complex after heavy storms and they had absorbed the water runoff from the parking lot and artificial turn fields.”
The Eco Garden Tour featured two rain gardens: one at Gibbons Pines Park and one at the home of Joe Balweirczak. After trees fell in Superstorm Sandy, Joe Balweirczak took the opportunity to build a rain garden that captures water runoff from his driveway. Filled with native plants and bright Cardinal Flowers, the garden attracts hummingbirds and pollinators while preventing flooding during storms like Ida - demonstrating that rain gardens are a win for homeowners, wildlife and our community.