Soil Selection for Rain Gardens
Project Number: BQY31
Project Chief: William R. Selbig
Project Topics: infiltration devices, rain garden, soil
Cooperators: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Period of Project: July 2005 to September 2007
Data collected from this study will be used to understand how rain gardens perform under a variety of adjustments to soil, vegetation, and area. The study area will act as a field laboratory to educate students of Edgewood and UW-Madison.
Problem
Guidelines on the construction of a rain garden are still in the early stages of development. Criteria for locating and constructing these infiltration devices keep the homeowner in mind and therefore do not require a lot of time or money. However, in order to increase the efficiency of a rain garden, soils are often engineered to maximize infiltration of runoff. This can, in some cases, be cost-prohibitive for individual landowners.
Objectives
The purpose of the investigation was to assist faculty at Edgewood College in the acquisition and installation of all equipment necessary to monitor two rain gardens for a complete water balance. Data collected from this study will be used to understand how rain gardens perform under a variety of adjustments to soil, vegetation, and area. The study area will act as a field laboratory to educate students of Edgewood and UW-Madison.
Approach
All equipment was purchased and installed by USGS personnel. Calibration of electronic sensors will be performed initially by the USGS but will be the responsibility of Edgewood College thereafter. Datalogger programming and data management was set up by the USGS but will be managed by Edgewood College.
Progress
All equipment has been installed and calibrated. The datalogger program was written and downloaded to the datalogger. Data is actively being collected and stored at Edgewood College. Instruction on operation and maintenance of equipment as well as retrieval of data from dataloggers was provided to Edgewood faculty and students.
Plans
Assist in calibration of sensors during storm runoff event. Provide insight on how best to capture sub-sample of rain garden effluent for water-quality analysis.
Publications and Reports
There are no reports planned at this time.
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