Residential and Community Conservation
Conservation practices implemented in residential, urban, and suburban communities can have a big impact on improving water quality and protecting our surrounding environment. District staff can provide technical assistance and advice for determining what types of conservation practices are best suited for your property. If your project is eligible, District staff can also help you submit an application for financial assistance when available.
Most conservation efforts in residential and suburban communities focus on managing stormwater runoff and preventing soil erosion. Stormwater runoff is generated from rain and snowmelt that flows over land and does not soak into the ground. When this runoff flows uninterrupted across the landscape, it can cause erosion and increased flooding, and often carries pollutants into nearby streams and rivers. By trying to limit and capture this runoff, we can prevent some of those concerns.
Click the links below to learn more about common stormwater management practices in our area.
A Rain Garden is a shallow landscaped depression that captures and infiltrates stormwater runoff. Rain gardens are an easy and effective tool that we can use to help reduce stormwater runoff from residential properties. These gardens are strategically placed to intercept pollutant laden stormwater runoff until it can be fully absorbed into the ground. Their design allows the rain garden to serve almost as a bowl that collects water from downspouts or overland flow across a property. The water is then able to slowly infiltrate into the underlying soil. Rain gardens can come in all different shapes and sizes but are best when planted with native plants that are indigenous to Virginia. These plants require less maintenance once established, have deep roots that soak up lots of water, provide food and habitat to wildlife, and are beautiful.
Rain Gardens should be designed to treat runoff from small areas, such as individual rooftops and driveways. Inflow is typically from a downspout with energy dissipaters or can be sheet flow from a driveway/patio or lawn. This practice is intended for disconnecting impervious surfaces.
While both conservation landscaping and rain gardens incorporate similar elements of gardening to promote cleaner air and water, rain gardens are more focused on runoff management while conservation landscaping typically focuses more on erosion prevention and wildlife elements.
