Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2012KY200B

Hydrologic characterization of a tree- and shrub-vegetated rain garden

Institute: Kentucky
Year Established: 2012 Start Date: 2012-03-01 End Date: 2013-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $4,985 Total Non-Federal Funds: $12,802

Principal Investigators: Carmen Agouridis

Project Summary: Traditional stormwater management practices have focused on capturing, detaining, and releasing stormwater flows through structures such as detention ponds. The focus is shifting to management strategies that capture and retain via infiltration or rainwater harvesting. Rain gardens, which are structures that use a conditioned planting bed and landscaping in a shallow depression, are one such means of promoting infiltration of runoff from impervious surfaces. The objective of this project is to conduct a hydrologic characterization of a newly constructed rain garden and to provide design recommendations for rain gardens located in Fayette County, Kentucky. It is anticipated that such recommendations will be applicable to other locations within the Inner and Outer Bluegrass regions of Kentucky.