New Jersey Demonstration Rain Gardens ~
Woods Road Elementary School

Woods Road Elementary School
401 South Woods Road, Hillsborough, Somerset County, New Jersey 08844

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

 

Google (TM) Map:


View New Jersey Demonstration Rain Gardens in a larger map

Site Contact(s):

Pat Rector, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris and Somerset Counties
    

History:

The Woods Road Elementary School rain garden was installed to beautify the site and to intercept, treat, and infiltrate stormwater runoff from a portion of the school's roof. The rain garden will not only manage and treat stormwater runoff, but will also serve as a demonstration for the students and their parents/guardians of a sustainable landscaping practice that they can do at home.

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's roof.

Installation:

The rain garden was installed in May 2011 with assistance from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program staff. The school district's Building and Ground Department helped excavate the site. Sand wicks were needed to help improve infiltration rate due to the soil having a high clay content. An underdrain system was also installed to manage the rain garden's capacity to handle runoff during large storm events.

Approval to install the rain garden was granted by the prinicpal. This project was funded by Woods Road Elementary School Green Committee, which is part of its School and Home Association.

The rain garden installation was featured in a variety of media outlets:

•     Click here to view the HillsboroughPatch article, April 18, 2011
•     Click here to view the HillsboroughPatch article, May 4, 2011

Plant Layout:

Rain Garden Map

Plant List:

Blueflag Iris
Columbine
Foxglove Beardtongue
Great Blue Lobelia
Orange Coneflower
Sweet Pepperbush

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 the students and the School and Home Association's Green Team.

Photographs:

Click here for photographs of the Woods Road Elementary School rain garden.