Rain gardens easy solution for too much runoff

Sometimes it's best to just "go with the flow" when it comes to maintaining our yards.

Not that we're promoting the idea of being lazy; a well-kept yard is a source of pride for the homeowner and makes for happier neighbors.

But creating a lawn and garden that takes advantage of natural climate and soil conditions can make for a handsome home while still leaving time for activities that are more enjoyable than yardwork.

One example is buffalo grass, which is native to Nebraska -- and what could be more appropriate for McCook, home of the Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival?

Yes, it stays brown a little longer in the spring and never looks quite as lush as Kentucky bluegrass, but Kentucky is a long way from here.

And, the University of Nebraska is releasing several new species of buffalo grass with more desirable qualities as a lawn or turfgrass.

Experts say buffalo grass demands far less water and fertilizer than other grasses, and can grow on an inch of water a month, compared with the 4 to 6 inches needed by bluegrass and fescue -- quite a consideration for McCook, with its new, higher water rates.

Other ideas from the University is the use of native ornamental plants and flowers the add beauty to the landscape with a minimum of maintenance and irrigation.

A new, intriguing "go-with-the-flow" idea is being promoted by the Groundwater Foundation in a series of workshops around the state.

The idea is one that is so obvious, we wonder why someone didn't think about it earlier.

A rain garden uses native shrubs, perennials and flowers planted in a small depression, generally formed on a natural slope.

It is fed water from roof gutters, driveways, sidewalks or patios that otherwise would wind up rivers and lakes, carrying pollution along with it.

According to the foundation, rain gardens remove up to 90 percent of nutrients and chemicals and up to 80 percent of sediments from the rainwater runoff.

Compared to a conventional lawn, rain gardens allow for 30 percent more water to soak into the ground.

Along the way, they reduce runoff and minimize flooding and property damage threats, improve water quality in streams and lakes, are cheap and simple to build, provide wildlife habitat and provide an aesthetically pleasing landscape feature.

We think rain gardens would be a useful addition for communities like McCook, which is situated on hilly land and prone to flooding runoff.

If you'd like to find out more, check out the Groundwater Foundation's Web site at www.groundwater.org or call (800) 858-4844.

Or you could even attend one of the workshops; the closest is in North Platte on Saturday, June 27, at the Cody Park Shelter on North Highway 83 in North Platte. Registration is $10. The workshops are supported through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Water Act through the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality.

Or, go to http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/pages/index.jsp and enter "rain gardens" in the search box at the left.