Landscaping for Clean Water and Healthy Streams
The purpose of this guide
The Oregon Rain Garden Guide was written to help Oregonians learn how to design and build rain gardens to treat the stormwater runoff from their own homes or businesses. Rain gardens are “gardens with a purpose”; they help reduce the amount of excess water and associated pollutants reaching local lakes, streams, and bays. Ultimately this results in healthier waterways, fish, other wildlife, and people.
This how-to guide provides information specific to Oregon’s conditions, including the rainfall and appropriate plants for your site. You don’t have to be a stormwater, garden, or landscape professional to use this guide. It provides the necessary information to safely build and maintain a rain garden, along with references for more detailed guidance for special conditions. You may also contact the authors and partners directly for more information.
What is a rain garden?