Rivers Connect Us

Rivers Connect Us. St. Gabriel Catholic Church. ,

A true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. , From Laudato Si, by Pope Francis.

, What's happening Here? , Stormwater runoff (rainwater that flows off surfaces such as rooftops and parking lots) causes erosion in streambeds and carries harmful pollutants such as oil, sediment, trash, and animal waste. The rain garden and BayScape gardening are capturing and treating stormwater runoff that would otherwise run to Rock Creek, the Potomac river and eventually into the Chesapeake Bay., The stormwater features here at St. Gabriel's Church were completed in the spring of 2019. The 290 square feet of rain garden treats runoff from a portion of the church roof and adjacent grass area. With annual precipitation of 40 inches, this stormwater management practice will treat over 62,000 gallons of polluted stormwater each year. The rain garden is planted with native plants., The Benefits of Rain Gardens , Rain gardens are one of the most effective designs for treating stormwater. When rain gardens are filled with native plants, they are especially good for the local environment's ecosystem., Rain gardens hold on to a calculated amount of stormwater and treat the runoff through filtration through soil and rocks, which also helps replace groundwater resources below. They promote nutrient pollution reduction through uptake by the plants as well as biological activities in the mulch and soil., Rain gardens are also known as bioretention units. This unit is constructed with a stone retention reservoir underlayment below a layer of engineered soil (primarily sand), topped with 2-3" of mulch. The underdrain allows for any excessive stormwater from very large storms to flow gradually onto the adjacent land.