New Jersey Demonstration Rain Gardens ~
Franklin Senior Center

Franklin Senior Center
8 Cork Hill Road, Franklin, Sussex County, New Jersey 07416

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 Franklin Senior Center rain garden was installed to beautify the site and to intercept, treat, and infiltrate stormwater runoff from a portion of the senior center's roof.

This rain garden is part of a pilot Green Infrastructure Program sponsored by the Sussex County Division of Planning. The project was conducted throughout Sussex County to reduce impacts to waterways and communities from aging sewer infrastructure, flooding, and to promote groundwater infiltration and recharge in support of the Water Supply planning goals of Sussex County. The program included a series of Green Infrastructure educational seminars, a Build a Rain Barrel Workshop, a Rain Garden Training for Professional Landscapers Program and the installation of four demonstration rain gardens.

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 coming from a portion of the senior center's roof via an extended downspout, which is a buried corrugated PVC pipe that conveys stormwater to the rain garden.

Installation:

The rain garden was installed in July 2011 by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program staff and undergraduate student interns, attendees of the Sussex County Rain Garden Training for Professional Landscapers Program, and employees of Sussex County. Staff from the Franklin Borough Department of Public Works assisted with the labor of the rain garden by excavating and hauling away a portion of the native soil.

Flexible corrugated PVC pipe was attached to the downspout located in the front of the senior center building, the pipe was then redirceted into a trench on the hill adjacent to the senior center. The pipe ends in the base of the rain garden where it is capped with a catch basin cover and is surrounded by native stone.  A three inch layer of shredded hardwood mulch was spread throughout the rain garden. The native plants that were installed in this rain garden were purchased from Kuperus Farmside Gardens & Florist.

Approval to install the rain garden was granted by the Franklin Borough Council and Administrator.  This rain garden was funded by the Sussex County Division of Planning.
  

Plant Layout:

Rain Garden Map

Plant List:

Black-eyed Susan
Blazing Star
Blue Flag Iris
Blue Lobelia
Indiangrass
Joe-Pye Weed
Lance-Leaf Coreopsis
Purple Coneflower
Redtwig Dogwood
Softrush
Switchgrass
Wild Bergamot

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 Franklin Borough Department of Public Works.

Photographs:

Click here for photographs of the Franklin Senir Center rain garden.