What is RainScaping?

A "RainScape" is a landscape which helps absorb water and decrease ponding instead of directing water into streets and sewers which ultimately flow to local rivers and the Puget Sound.

Stormwater runoff is generated from rain and snowmelt that flows over land or impermeable surfaces, such as roofs, sidewalks, streets and parking lots, and does not soak into the ground. The runoff picks up pollutants like fertilizer, garden chemicals, pet waste, oils, dirt and sediments that can harm our rivers, streams, lakes, and Puget Sound.

Landowners can protect our waterways by using rainscaping features. Rainscaping solutions reduce stormwater runoff, promote infiltration of stormwater into the soil, and filter the runoff by controlling it at its source.

Rainscaping Solutions

Rainscaping solutions are landscape features that provide on-site solutions to runoff. These features range from simple measures that can be designed and installed by homeowners, to more sophisticated features that require special permits and engineering.

• Install a rain garden
• Install rain barrels or cisterns
• Mulch bare soils
• Plant native trees and shrubs
• Remove hard surfaces (depave)
• Replace hard surfaces with permeable pavement
• Consult an architect to design and install a green roof