Politics & Government

New Rain Garden in Riverhead

Environmentally friendly project aims to protect groundwater and improve air quality.

Paradise just might be blooming in a downtown Riverhead parking lot.

A new rain garden was unveiled this week in Riverhead, created to educate the public and work toward new and innovative stormwater management.

On Thursday, Suffolk County Legislator Ed Romaine and members of the Suffolk County Soil and Water Conservation District gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of the new cutting edge rain garden.

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The garden is located at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Building at 423 Griffing Avenue, and will serve to protect groundwater and improve air quality.

When he was approached about constructing a rain garden at the site, Romaine said, "It was a no-brainer. This demonstration project provides a great benefit to the environment without a substantial effect on parking space."

Find out what's happening in Riverheadwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The legislator thanked the staff of the soil and water conservation district for their leadership and the department of public works "for agreeing to think outside-the-box of traditional parking lot design to construct this rain garden."

The garden captures the first two to three inches that falls on the parking lot and filters it, before it reaches a storm drain. Since stormwater that travels into the rain garden is ponded temporarily, pollutants are treated by the soil and through plants as the water seeps down to recharge the aquifer.

Plants in the garden, all of which were purchased locally, were picked to attract butterflied and other pollinators or to feed the birds.

Other factors taken into consideration when choosing the plants include nativeness to Long Island, salt tolerance, bloom time, height, flower color and deciduousness.

With an eye toward public education, a kiosk will be set up to help greet visitors and offer explanations of the garden's purpose and the plants.

The project was funded by the Environmental Protection Fund through the New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee,


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