Want to Adopt Green Infrastructure in Your Community?
District residents and community groups can contribute to our community and help keep our rivers clean by keeping our rain gardens looking beautiful and functioning properly. Rain gardens and bioretention basins are an important part of our built environment. They collect and filter stormwater, provide habitat for wildlife, reduce urban heat risks, and add natural beauty to the District’s neighborhoods. DOEE’s professional landscape crews regularly visit these rain gardens to make sure they are healthy, clean, and functioning properly. You can keep rain gardens working and looking good between official visits by becoming a volunteer steward.
Please email [email protected] about your specific interest and include as much information as you can from the below list.
- Green Infrastructure Practice Address
- Closest Intersection (example 18th St and Rhode Island Ave NE)
- Submitter Name
- Submitter Phone
- Green Infrastructure Best Management Practice (BMP) Number (if known)
- Reference this map for a list of District-owned GI and BMP ID numbers
- Please include a photo if possible
“The What and When (and How) of Rain Garden Stewardship”:
Before and after any rain event, and at least once per month, you SHOULD:
- Pick up trash
- Remove fallen leaves
- Monitor plant health
- Water during drought
- Check for erosion
- Remove sediment and debris from inlets, overflows and curb lines
With DOEE approval, and special coordination and training, you can also help to:
- Add new plants and mulch
- Remove weeds
- Prune (only during winter months when trees and shrubs are dormant, or when there is a sight line or safety hazard)
When to call or visit 311 (IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING!):
- Illegal dumping
- Damage or vandalism to the plants or significant structures
- Standing water longer than 72 hours