Lee's Summit, Missouri
Client:
Pulte Homes
Terra Technologies was hired to design mitigation areas to compensate for unavoidable impacts to waters of the U.S., including wetlands, from the creation of a large residential development. The goal of the project was to use rain gardens to increase stormwater infiltration, decrease runoff, and improve water quality while providing an attractive community asset of native prairie grasses and wildflowers. Additionally, one of the project aims was to redefine the rain garden techniques that came from the East Coast to better match our Midwestern climate, soils, and plants.
With 3.61 acres of rain gardens, this project is one of the largest of its kind in the country. Surface water and two area outlets from the surrounding proposed residential development will feed into two rain garden complexes consisting of a total of twelve basins. Attractive native prairie wildflowers, grasses, trees, and shrubs will use their deep root systems to break up the clay soils to increase percolation and to decrease surface runoff. Plants specifically chosen for their high impact to water quality, ability to stabilize the soil, and tolerance of higher salt concentrations are grouped in certain rain garden basins to treat the first flush of pollutants and salts.
This project required the regionalization of rain garden design using the deep roots of our native prairie plants to overcome the challenge of our tight clay soils to infiltration. Also, plants had to be chosen based on their functional abilities to break up the soil, colonize and outcompete weeds, improve water quality, and to provide homeowners with an attractive native landscape out their back window.
These rain gardens will store more than the first ¾ inch of rainfall across the 26 acres that drains through the rain gardens. If infiltration is taken into account, this project will treat even higher rainfalls, providing significant water quality benefits and offsetting the increase of impermeable surfaces from the surrounding development. A wide diversity of attractive native prairie plants will provide a scenic communal backyard that will provide a variety of colors and textures across all seasons. The project will have signs of recognition from our partners placed in prominent locations describing the benefits of the rain gardens.
Construction began in 2007. |
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