It’s hard to believe a dry patch of ground in Lions Park will one day be a lush rain garden.
But that’s the dream of volunteers, the city of Port Coquitlam and members of the Coquitlam River Watershed Roundtable who are planning to create a water filtration system this fall using native plants, rocks, woody debris and new soil dug into the earth.
A rain garden can be any form of landscaping that filters and absorbs rainwater runoff from a surface such as roofs, driveways, parking lots or streets.
Instead of polluted water from storm drains rushing into the Coquitlam River, rain water will trickle into the rain garden, where plants will filter out the oil and other toxic sludge so clean water percolates into the river system.
“This is much better for aquatic life,” said Sharee Dubowits, roundtable coordinator, who is organizing the project.
KEEPING POLLUTANTS OUT OF THE COQUITLAM RIVER
She said the pilot project will show Tri-City residents how they can help protect the river’s ecosystem by installing their own rain gardens near driveways and in their backyard.
Rain gardens have been cropping up in Metro Vancouver in various forms over the years, including small swales draining water from parking lots like Rocky Point Park in Port Moody, to medium-sized gardens in school grounds or larger drainage ponds in parks and in some developments.
Now they are being championed for private properties, where home owners would disconnect a roof down spout from a perimeter drain and allow the water to flow into a rain garden instead.
Roundtable participant and environmental engineer Eve Gauthier said her daughter’s Coquitlam school established a rain garden last year and it’s working well and has been a popular talking point among students and parents.
“It’s great to get people involved so they have a sense of ownership,” she said.
WHIMISICAL GARDEN TO PUT A SMILE ON PEOPLE'S FACES
In Lions Park, rain water from a storage shed will be funnelled into the new rain garden.
PoCo councillor Nancy McCurrach would like to see rain gardens throughout the city, and will ask staff for their recommendations.
“I’m happy to see something that is creative, involves the public, includes children and local groups,” she said.
The city of Port Coquitlam and Jack Cewe Construction Ltd. will be providing in-kind time, materials and machine time. A funding application is currently underway for Vancity and the group will be pursuing Pacific Salmon Foundation funding opportunities for the $6,500 project in September.
Interested volunteers should be alert to a call out for help to plant native species and help with soil amendment in October.
Meanwhile, the city is also creating a whimsical garden in Lions Park that will include accessible trails, naturalized plantings, garden follies (decorative focal points) and a public art piece currently under fabrication.
The whimsical garden is expected to be complete by the end of the year, according to a city staff report.
