MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Terasa Lott, a water resources agent with Clemson Extension, joined News13 NOW to talk about rain gardens and their benefit to water quality.
Her interview was part of the Carolina Clear program, which sponsors segments on News13. For more about the Carolina Clear efforts to improve water quality, check out www.clemson.edu/public/carolinaclear.
Watch the video for more details. The following questions and answers are some of the topics covered:
What is stormwater and how does it get polluted?
Stormwater, like the name implies, is water that comes from storms (rain). As this water flows across the landscape, it picks up pollutants left on the ground such as heavy metals, fertilizers, pathogens, automotive fluids….and carries them to storm drains which lead directly to waterways and receive no treatment.
What is a rain garden and how can it protect water quality?
Rain gardens are landscaped depressions that collect runoff and allow it to slowly soak into the ground. Many of the pollutants are removed. Plants take up nutrients, sediment settles out, and pathogens are removed through biological processes.
What are the other benefits of rain gardens?
There are lots of colorful flowers that can be used in rain gardens which are very attractive. Rain gardens also provide wildlife habitat, especially in urban areas where habitat might otherwise be limited. Rain garden visitors include butterflies, birds, beneficial insects like dragonflies and perhaps even frogs and lizards.
