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Rain Gardens

Education & Outreach | Water Quality

Rain running off roads and driveways flows into storm drains that discharge to local streams and bays. This stormwater often carries pollutants and contaminants such as heavy metals, fertilizers, oil, pet waste, and tire chemicals lethal to coho salmon. Rain gardens are designed to collect the first flush of runoff during a rainstorm, which carries the highest levels of pollutants, and hold it temporarily in bioretention basins. Stormwater filters through special soils that hold onto pollutants and plant roots absorb excess nutrients, reducing contaminated runoff before it reaches our bays and recharging the groundwater. See WSU Rain Gardens for more information about why rain gardens are such effective stormwater filtration systems and WSU Rural Stormwater Solutions for a suite of educational materials to help landowners manage stormwater and reduce polluted runoff in rural areas.

MRC Rain Gardens

Concerns about stormwater contaminants and water quality prompted the MRC to initiate a multi-year effort to install rain gardens in high priority locations across East Jefferson County. In 2014, the MRC partnered with WSU Extension and the City of Port Townsend to install two rain gardens in uptown Port Townsend. This successful collaboration led to an assessment and prioritization of other drainages with high pollution concerns. Since then, we have installed one to two rain gardens each year. WSU Extension, Native Plant Salvage Foundation, City of Port Townsend, Jefferson County, Port of Port Townsend, Port Townsend Marine Science Center, Quilcene School, Master Gardeners, Old Alcohol Plant Inn, Swan School, community volunteers and others are all helping to treat stormwater by building and maintaining rain gardens. As of 2023, we have leveraged funds to install and maintain 19 rain gardens! 

See the 2023 rain garden project summary report here.

See the East Jefferson County Rain Garden StoryMap to learn more about each rain garden.

Volunteers and students help to install a rain garden in Port Townsend.

2022 Rain Garden Maintenance Work Party.

ADOPT A RAIN GARDEN

Be a part of East Jefferson County’s natural stormwater solutions by helping to care for a rain garden in your area! The MRC’s rain garden program is, at its heart, a community project with rain gardens built and cared for largely by volunteers. Rain gardens require just a small amount of maintenance, with only a handful of days needed to weed, water, and mulch throughout the year. The MRC can support by providing educational resources and garden supplies, responding to questions, and organizing work parties when some extra hands are needed. Maintaining rain gardens not only help to treat stormwater runoff but also offer a way for volunteers to connect with other community members while beautifying our neighborhoods and supporting pollinators. To see the list of rain gardens in need of a little extra care and sign up to become a steward, visit: www.bit.ly/RainGardenStewards.

Become a Steward
Native plants ready for planting
Rain Gardens