How a rain garden can prevent stormwater around your home, cost-effective

SHREVEPORT, La. ( KTAL/KMSS ) — Shreveport and regions across northwestern Louisiana have been increasingly hit with multiple tornado watches, sudden storm warnings, and flood warnings – but how vulnerable is the city?

The biggest downpours in Shreveport are projected to increase , and residents are still recovering from last June’s nameless supercell storm , which crushed parts of homes and properties with large oak trees.

According to ClimateCheck , a risk assessment database, Shreveport will experience increased risks from heat, precipitation (increases the risk of tropical storms), and fire.

Low-income borrowers and people of color are more likely to live in older homes that may not meet modern building standards or have resilient features.

A 2021 study found that flooding is 35% more likely to impact Louisiana, including the northwest and rural regions of the state.

Unpredictable wet weather comes with a unique solution: rain gardens.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a rain garden is a depressed area in the landscape that collects rainwater from a roof, driveway, or street to reduce stormwater flooding and filter polluted runoff.

The Louisiana Department of Insurance also states that eligible homeowners could receive tax deductions or insurance premium deductions ‘for voluntarily strengthening their homes against storms and hurricanes.’

The benefits of building a rain garden are:

• Cost-effective,
• Requires little maintenance
• Attractive alternative to a bare lawn
• Improve human health,
• Delay and reduce stormwater overflows,
• Reduce pollutants,
• Invites pollinators and
• It acts as an urban heat island mitigator.

Rain gardens can be installed along the corner of the lawn or roads as natural drains and can vary in size and depth.

To build a rain garden, you will need a shovel, gravel, stones, mulch, and native plants.

The rain garden collects a few inches of rainwater, which is absorbed into the ground in about a day or two and does not become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

How to build a rain garden:

Instructions: According to the Louisiana State University’s AgCenter , rain gardens are inexpensive to build.

1. Select the area located between the source (by low spots under the roof, driveways, and drains). The depth of the garden should be four to six inches deep.

LSU AgCenter underscores that the placement should be at least 25 feet from the drain and that underground utility lines should be avoided.

“Rain gardens should be constructed where the water table is at least 2’ below the surface of the soil. If you hit the water table when constructing your rain garden, consider turning it into a wetland garden.”

They recommend using a plastic pipe to help direct the rainwater to the drainage site if needed.

2. Inspect the soil. If the soil is impermeable – a sign a pond of water remains saturated for several days after the storm – they work best in well-drained or sandy soil and less permeable soils such as clay.

3. Decide the size of the rain garden.

4. Construct the garden, creating a berm with the dug-out soil and covering it with mulch or grass to prevent erosion.

5. Choose a mix of grown native flowers with a well-established root system. Native flowers such as the Louisiana Irise require little maintenance. LSU AgCenter notes that not every plant can survive in a rain garden and advises plants to be adapted to wet and dry conditions.

6. After planting, water immediately and add mulch so they do not float away.

LSU Ag Center states that shallow water depths are possible but will result in a larger required area.

Local Nurseries in Northwest Louisiana

• Akins Nursery & Landscape: 5901 East Kings Highway, Shreveport.
• Garrison’s Garden Center & Nursery: 6905 Greenwood Road, Shreveport.
• Glass Nursery & Garden Center: 5107 East Texas Street, Bossier City.
• Lex Plant Farm & Garden Center: 9045 East Kings Highway, Shreveport.
• Louisiana Nursery: 12290 Mansfield Road, Keithville.

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