Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW) has received a grant from MillerCoors to construct a rain garden and water catchment system at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W. Weisheimer Rd. in Clintonville.

Volunteers are needed to help with construction and planting—a great opportunity for hands-on learning! Construction of the rain garden will begin the week of August 31. Planting will take place Sun., Sept. 13 from 2-5pm.

A team including Amy Dutt of Urban Wild, Storm Water Engineer Joe Tribble, and members of the UU Church’s Green Team and Buildings and Grounds Committee has created a design for the rain garden and water catchment system on the church’s property. The design provides for a 325 square foot rain garden and a rain barrel system that will irrigate a portion of the church’s gardens using roof run-off water. Community members are invited to help install and maintain the rain garden, and tour the site after installation.

A rain garden collects water from rooftops, driveways, sidewalks, and roads, and allows it to soak into the ground rather than flooding our yards, roads, streams, and sewer systems. Rain gardens help prevent stream bank erosion and help keep pesticides, petroleum products and other pollutants away from our local waters. Rain gardens are an easy, cost-efficient way to slow and decrease the amount of storm water runoff that enters our natural waterways from our personal properties.

More than forty rain gardens have been installed in Franklin County. Schools like Dublin Sells Elementary, the Graham School in Clintonville, and the Ohio State University now feature rain gardens. COSI, the Ohio Dept. of Transportation, the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources and city parks and green spaces in Gahanna, Clintonville, Washington Township and downtown Columbus have rain gardens. Residents in communities including Columbus, Hilliard, Grandview Heights and Upper Arlington have rain gardens on their properties. The movement is growing, and the results are adding up—rain gardens in Franklin County collect a total of 1.5 million gallons of water each year!

FLOW is working to add to the tally of local rain gardens in the next few years. The demonstration rain garden and water catchment project at the First Unitarian Universalist Church is step one in FLOW’s plan for 10 similar projects at local schools, churches, small businesses and other institutions by 2012. FLOW is partnering with Sierra Club, the Central Ohio Rain Garden Initiative, the Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, and other local groups to move this goal forward, with several possible sites for new rain gardens in the works.

To volunteer for the UU Church rain garden installation, or for information about creating a rain garden at your home, church, business or school, contact at FLOW.