New Jersey Demonstration Rain Gardens ~
Steinert High School

Steinert High School
2900 Klockner Road, Hamilton, Mercer County, New Jersey 08690

Google (TM) Map	Site Contact(s)	History	Runoff Managed
Installation	Plant Layout	Maintenance	Photographs

 

Google (TM) Map:

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Site Contact(s):

Jeremiah Bergstrom, Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program
    

History:

The Steinert High School rain garden was installed to intercept, treat, and infiltrate stormwater runoff from a portion of the school's roof.

Staff from the the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program conducted an educational program for the Steinert High School AP Biology class. This educational program included a discussion on what a watershed is using an EnviroScape® Model, an overview of rain gardens using a virtual rain garden simulator, a lesson on soils, a demonstration about how to monitor their rain garden, and facts about the native plants that they helped to install in their school's rain garden.

To address the water quality issues associated with increased stormwater runoff, demonstration projects like this rain garden are essential.

Type of Runoff Managed:

This rain garden manages stormwater runoff from a portion of the school building's roof via three redirected downspouts.

Installation:

The rain garden was installed in April 2013 by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program staff and Hamilton Township Department of Public Works staff. The Hamilton Township Department of Public Works excavated the rain garden with a backhoe.  Coarse sand and compost purchased from Gregs Landscaping were mixed into the native soil to help improve drainage and the quality of the soil.  Three downspouts that were originally directed to the lawn were redirected to the rain garden to serve as the inlets. The native plants that were installed by the AP Biology students in this rain garden were purchased from North Creek Nurseries, Inc.

Approval to install the rain garden was granted by the Principal at Steinert High School.  This rain garden was funded by Hamilton Township.

Plant Layout:

Rain Garden Map

Rain Garden Parameters:

Rain garden size - 450 square feet

Drainage area - 2,000 square feet

Plant List:

Beebalm
Black-eyed Susan
Fox Sedge
Joe-Pye Weed
Purple Coneflower
Turtlehead

Click here to download Adobe Reader to view the rain garden map and the plant list fact sheets.
 

Maintenance:

This rain garden is maintained by staff and students at Steinert High School.

Photographs:

Click here for photographs of the Steinert High School rain garden.

Click here to view a video of the installation of the Steinert High School rain garden.