This week has been a damp one for UMD. Watching the drops continue to fall, one question may pop into your head: how is all of this rainfall managed? One way is through the UMD Rain Garden, located on the east end of Maroon Lot B along College Street. The Rain Garden is the largest and most visible result of UMD's Storm Water Pollution Protection Program.

Composed of plantings, a drain tile system, and a water level control system, this landscaping feature is one-third of an acre in size. The Rain Garden is planted with native perennial plants and is used to manage storm water runoff from impervious surfaces, in this case a parking lot.

 Runoff from 2.5 acres of the lot flows into a large bowl-shaped basin, where sand and other debris sink to the bottom. As the settling basin fills, water then overflows into the rain garden. Some of the water is used by the plants, some will evaporate, some will soak into the ground, and some will be released into the storm sewer. The rain garden can hold 60,000 gallons of water at full capacity.

Amazingly, it takes only about ten minutes for a drop of rain to travel from campus to Lake Superior. The rain garden acts as an intermediary helping to protect Oregon Creek (which flows through the UMD campus) by slowing, cooling, and filtering the run-off. This treatment of the water is important to the well-being of the life in Oregon Creek. The rain garden ensures the quality of the runoff leaving our campus leaves slower, and when it does leave, it's clearer and cooler.

Not only is it functional, the Rain Garden is also beautiful. There are more than 3,800 plants of 75 different species which bloom from the early spring into the fall. Once the rain finally stops falling, give yourself a self-guided tour. This week, you can see Closed Gentian, Turtlehead, Joe-Pye Weed and many other blooming native plants.