PA Environment Digest

Mount Pleasant residents of Ramsay Terrace and nearby streets should act quickly if they want to sign up for a free program that will create an attractive, landscaped garden in their yard as a way to help relieve flooding in local neighborhoods.

As many as 40 homeowners in these areas can each receive a special “rain garden” free-of-charge by filling out and returning an interest form by March 15. As of March 3, 25 homeowners had already returned forms to participate in the program.

The approximately 10-foot by 20-foot rain gardens will be attractive landscape features, with perennial flowers, shrubs, and/or small trees. Underneath, they are actually very hard-working and effective ways to reduce flooding, a problem that has historically plagued the Ramsay Terrace neighborhood and, in particular, North and South Geary streets.

Rain gardens reduce flooding by managing excess rainwater. They take some of the rain that normally would flow into the sewer system or the street and collect it in a shallow, unseen trough underneath the plants. The plants then use this water to grow, and any water left over slowly filters into the ground nearby.

Compared to a conventional patch of lawn, a rain garden allows 30 percent more water to soak into the ground. Even though it is called a “rain garden,” water does not pond or stand on the surface of this landscape feature.

Mount Pleasant Borough received a grant to design, install, and landscape these gardens. The homeowner properties that receive them will be determined on a first-come, first-served basis from among those who submit an interest form and whose property is evaluated as suitable by the program representative.

Eligible residents who elect to have a rain garden installed will be responsible for giving it route, normal maintenance, such as weeding, watering, and pruning.

Funding for the rain gardens is being provided by the Department of Environmental Protection through Section 319 of the Federal Clean Water Act administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Richard King Mellon Foundation is providing funding for public information about the program.

The interest forms are available at the Mount Pleasant Borough office, the Westmoreland Conservation District website or by calling the conservation district at 724-837-5271.

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