Rain Garden Subsidies.

[gorknoids]

Another thread just brought this to mind. During re-cert propaganda exposure last month, the topic of "Rain Gardens" came up.
Basically, this is a wet area planting designed to slow the flow of rain run-off and filter it through an approved soil/root system to pull out silt and contaminants. Apparently, some jurisdictions are offering a sort of subsidy or tax break for homeowners and commercial properties which incorporate them into their landscape, but it's Spring and I haven't really had the time to run this one down.
Anyone familiar with this? It has to be one of the biggest gifts the government has ever handed us. The marketability of this is mind-boggling.

[cgaengineer]

We had a client at my full time job that had to install them as we omitted a detention pond that would have cost him some lots. Somewhere I have a list of plants and also a design...I will try to find it Tuesday morning. The use of them is great for something like downspouts, but around here when the rain quits and we are in a drought...what is the homeowner to do with a basin full of water loving plants except watch them die.

The gift doesnt come without its problems.

[jaybird24]

Given the proper application they work great. The plant are not meant to stand in water, they merely are able to use the water better than lawns and allow it to re-enter the groundwater without runoff. The plant are very durable to drought conditions as they are mostly native prairie and grassland plants. We install 80-100 a year mostly due to the fact this area is very environmentally conscious and many municipalities require them, especially in commercial areas. Do some research on them. As more people get away from wanting to maintain a lawn and the cost associated with it, native plantings, and judicious use of water is the direction many will be headed. Get a leg up on others in your area, and be in a better position as this segment continues to grow.