Lonsdale Rain Garden

Type: Rain garden

Use: Civic/Public

Installer: Blackstone River Coalition and Audubon Society of RI

Designer/Developer: Eugena Marks, Audubon Society of RI

Installation Date: 2009 – 2010

Address: 270 River Road, Lincoln, 02865

The rain garden installed next to the parking lot at Lonsdale Elementary School in Lincoln is designed to capture and treat stormwater flowing off of the impervious area. It is 120 ft long and 20 ft wide, and abuts the entire length of the parking lot. The project was initiated in 2009 by Kim Wiegand, the town engineer, through the Blackstone River Coalition. In 2010, a grant received through the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, provided funds to finish the planting of the garden. Some of the plants include ever-blooming daylily (red), blazing star, Echinacea/ Purple coneflower, and at bottom of swale Eupatorium/ Joe Pye weed. The most recent planting was in the shallower end of the swale and included Arctostaphylos uva ursi/ bearberry at the rim, extension of daylilies, Dicentra/ Bleeding heart, and Osmunda cinnamomea / cinnamon fern. The rain garden is designed to be a demonstration site and a sign has been made and will be installed on the guardrail so as to educate the public as to the importance and usefulness of rain gardens.

bare ground next to tree, wood railing and parking lot — Lonsdale parking lot before rain garden was installed

people putting plants into the ground — Planting in May 2009

people unrolling sod — Prepping site for more planting in 2010

Address: 270 River Road, Lincoln, RI 02865