A Community & Municipal Partnership Project Stephanie Suter, Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District Central Ohio Stormwater and Erosion Control Expo 2012 Rain Gardens

Partners Franklin Soil and Water, CORGI, Westerville, OSU, Ohio EPA OEEF, Ohio Water Development Authority, Watershed Organic Lawn Care, and Brook Run residents Pictured: OSU students Phil Cherosky & Kevin White and OSU President Gordon Gee Pictured: Master Gardener Volunteers Barbara Merritt, Donna Boyce, & Caye Aiello Pictured: Westerville Service Department staff

OEEF portion Created 5,000 brochures & printed 10,000 more Launched website Educational workshops in 4 neighborhoods Ranking criteria Outreach through media & presentations Installed 16 residential rain gardens Monitoring storm water runoff quantity

OWDA portion Control & experimental neighborhood Installed 5 right-of-way rain gardens Sampling wells Monitoring storm water runoff –Quantify volume & peak flow reductions –Quantify nutrient reductions Modeling predictions to help communities Submitted findings to Journal of Hydrologic Engineering

Chosen neighborhood Hempstead Rd

Residential gardens

Right of way concept Graphic by Schlea & Martin, OSU

Right of way gardens

Monitoring equipment

Piezometers

Data – right-of-way gardens ObjectiveOutcome Develop performance relationships based on simulated storm events 37.5% overall volume reduction (28-100%) 67% average peak flow reduction (33-100%) Logarithmic relationship determined Estimate performance for natural events > 26% of events estimated to have zero runoff > 50% volume reduction for 27/38 events > 50% peak flow reduction for 31/38 events Graph & table by Schlea & Martin, OSU

Curb cuts Inlet Design ConfigurationDate of AlterationDescription 18/2010 Soil with grass at the curb-cut flow inlet. Grass and accumulating debris prevented water from entering the gardens. 27/21/2011 Soil and grass excavated from inlet in an area 1 meter by 1.2 meters to a depth of 20 cm. Elimination of vegetation from the inlet increases volume of water entering gardens during storms, but simulated rainfall events show decreased performance. 311/17/2011 Layer of bentonite clay added between soil and rocks at inlets. Eliminates vegetation at inlet. Simulated rainfall events indicate improved storm water flow reduction. Tables by Kosmerl & Martin, OSU DateGardenInlet Design ConfigurationInput (L)% Volume ReductionGravimetric Soil Moisture Content (w) 3/25/2011AB %0.56 4/14/2011AB % /25/2011AB % /3/2011AB % /13/2011AB %0.52 1/10/2012AB %0.47

Curb cuts

Data – entire neighborhood ObjectiveOutcome Reduce overall neighborhood storm water flowing to stream by 55% Range of 82-94% reduction

Thank You! Photo: Photo: ©CL Evans Photo: from Flower Calendar