Project Location: Ellicott City, MD

Problem: During major storm events, an Ellicott City neighborhood located along Hunter Road experienced significant flooding. The stormwater drained into the city’s historic district, and the flooding was exacerbated by the uphill funneling of runoff into the community and Main Street located downstream. Private residential neighborhoods were seeking solutions to help manage the stormwater runoff, and the Howard County government responded by making projects easier and more affordable.

Project Location: Chevy Chase, MD

Problem: Stormwater runoff from Woodend, a 40-acre nature sanctuary in Chevy Chase, MD that serves as headquarters of the Audubon Naturalist Society, was impacting neighboring property and adding to pollution in nearby Rock Creek. Design challenges included the site’s historic registration, steep slope and existing mature trees.

Project Location: Baltimore City, MD

Project Location: Annapolis, MD

Problem: This Annapolis dealership was covered with impermeable asphalt and concrete. Without any greenery, there were drainage issues, including flooding, puddling, and nearby erosion. In addition, polluted runoff was draining into local Spa Creek.

Project Location: Baltimore County, MD

Problem: Open space areas within the Miramar Landing neighborhood were bare, compacted dirt lots that conveyed untreated runoff to local streams and were eyesores for the community. The impervious surfaces within this development also transported polluted runoff into the Middle River, which has historically been plagued with harmful algae blooms and fish kills.

This manual aimed at residential homeowners who want to improve water quality, reduce flooding, and increase their property value describes how to locate, size, construct, plant, and maintain rain gardens. 

This guide has been compiled as a resource for individuals, groups and organizations interested in creating a landscape feature that will: solve drainage problems, address erosion problems, improve water quality, create wildlife habitat and/or create a garden focal point. 

Website with links to research on the performance of green infrastructure practices including green roofs, permeable pavements, rainwater harvesting, rain gardens and planter boxes, bioswales, urban tree canopies, constructed wetlands, and watershed scale practices.

Summarizes the results of more than 150 pollutant removal studies. Includes statistical and graphical representations of removal rates for four types of GI controls: constructed wetlands, bioretention, infiltration trenches, and swales. 

Provides a summary of routine maintenance activities for rain gardens, vegetated swales, and permeable pavements. The charts included in the manual describe four levels of service from excellent effort (Service Level A) to poor effort (Service Level D).