Rain Barrels

    There is an 80-gallon for $150 and a 60-gallon for $130. On
    10/9/08, both South Lansing and West Lansing stores had
    both in stock in their stores.


Rain Gardens

We looked all over the web to find the best instructions for building a
home rain garden. Here are some of our top picks:

    10 simple steps that apply in all states. Tells you who to contact
    in Michigan about utilities before you dig. Link for Native Plants
    doesn’t work.
    A big more in-depth process guide, 10 pages, from the Rain
    Gardens of West Michigan program.
    From North Carolina, but very illustrative and same steps as
    the other guides.
    A beautifully designed 32-page guide from Wisconsin.









Pervious Driveways and Walkways

    (Includes online video showing how to install your own
    brick paver walkway!)

  • Pervious Concrete Article:

  • Variety of LID techniques for reducing pervious
    surfaces:
©2004 Mid-Michigan Environmental Action Council
P.O. Box 17164, Lansing, Michigan 48901-7164
(517) 292-3078 * jpowers155@gmail.com
Low Impact Development

This project funded by

















    Learn about LID
    options in Lansing’s
    upcoming CSO
    construction areas.



    Stormwater Pollution

    Our drinking water
    supplies, rivers,
    streams and beaches
    are fouled by
    uncontrolled pollution
    when rainwater and
    snowmelt wash over
    city streets, parking lots,
    and suburban lawns
    and pick up toxic
    chemicals, disease-
    causing organisms,
    and dirt and trash. This
    problem is called
    stormwater pollution.

    Recent studies have
    found that stormwater
    rivals and in some
    cases exceeds sewage
    plants and large
    factories as a source of
    damaging pollutants.
    Click here to learn more.
Protect your property from flooding, save money, and
help the environment using Low Impact Development!

  • LID captures rainwater for reuse.
  • LID absorbs rainwater to help prevent flooding.
  • LID renews groundwater supplies for drinking water.
  • LID cleans rainwater that has collected pollution (like litter, dirt,
    and oil) from our roofs and paved areas, instead of sending it
    into our rivers.
  • LID is simple, affordable, and easier than maintaining big
    lawns and paved areas.

Each of us can make Mid-Michigan cleaner and greener. Click here to
learn more about the problem of non-point source pollution.


Try these simple LID techniques!
Kalamink Creek stormwater
runoff
Storm Drain Labeling
Stormwater drain off the west
branch of the Red Cedar
Reflections in the Red Cedar
River
Volunteers collecting samples
Stream Monitoring on the
west branch of the Red Cedar
Stream monitoring on the
west branch of Red Cedar
Volunteer stream monitoring
training
  • Downspouts: direct downspouts to
    rain barrels or rain gardens.
  • Rain Barrels: catch rainwater off your
    roof to water plants, wash cars, etc.
  • Rain Gardens: dig out patches of
    your yard and plant with absorbent
    native flowers like sedum,
    coneflower, black-eyed susan, lilies,
    blue-flag, and tall grasses.
  • Don’t Pave: instead use gravel, pea
    stone, interlocking bricks, or mulch
    and native plants.
  • Pervious Pavement: check out this
    new type of concrete that allows
    water to run through it and back into
    the ground.
  • No-Mow Zone: if you live on the water,
    don’t mow up to the water’s edge.
    Plant a buffer strip of native dogwood,
    willow, sweetgrass, elderberry, or
    crabapple to filter pollutants and
    prevent erosion.
Direct downspouts to rain
gardens. Keep water away
from your home using
decorative trays or stones.











Direct downspouts to rain
barrels-- available at Lowe’s
or online. Then use the
water for gardening,
washing, etc.
Native plants adapted to our climate make rain gardens
low-maintenance. They also attract butterflies and wild birds. To get
native Mid-Michigan plants, go to www.wildtypeplants.com or contact
Wild Type in Mason at 517-244-1140.  Rain gardens absorb and filter
pollutants, and help prevent flooding. (Taller plants = longer roots =
more absorbent)
Pervious pavement looks like
concrete, but allows water to flow
through it.
These interlocking pavers allow rainwater to filter back
into the ground. They also last longer than concrete
because they contract in winter and expand in spring.


Click here to learn more about Low-Impact Development!