Rain Garden Project

Registration is open for the Spring Rain Garden Academy. If you are interested in building a rain garden but aren’t sure how to go about it, then you will want to attend the Rain Garden Academy hosted by Beaver Water District and the Illinois River Watershed Partnership! The Academy will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, April 12th, at the Beaver Water District Administration Building in Lowell. The cost is $25 per person and $15 for students.

The class is open to 50 participants and pre-registration is required. Click here to pre-register.

A rain garden is a landscaped depression that is 4” to 8” deep. It captures stormwater runoff, cleans and filters pollutants, and provides habitat for wildlife.

On July 1, 2011, the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (ANRC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded two grants totaling $350,000 to build rain gardens to improve water quality.  Beaver Water District was awarded $139,000 and the Illinois River Watershed Partnership (IRWP) received $211,000 to build rain gardens in Northwest Arkansas over the next three years. Rain gardens will be located in the Illinois River Watershed and the West Fork-White River/Beaver Lake-White River Watershed.

The NWA Rain Garden Project grant seeks to empower students and communities to confront local watershed concerns by implementing demonstration rain gardens in public and quasi-public properties, including schools, churches, and public institutions, within the Illinois River and Beaver Lake Watersheds; and educating the public about the numerous benefits of this alternative stormwater management approach.  Fall and Spring Rain Garden Academies will train individuals on how to install a rain garden and provide more information on the Rain Garden Mini-Grant Application for financial assistance.

 For more information, download one of the following documents, or contact Becky Roark, the Rain Garden Resource Specialist: BWD Rain Garden Fact Sheet; Rain Garden: Project Awarded; Rain Garden Grant Application; Rain Garden Project Brochure; Rain Garden-Native Plants Brochure.

Watch this fun video/singalong of the Rain Garden Song by Marshall Mitchell! And watch this short video explaining the simple concepts about rain gardens!