| Rain Gardens & Rain Barrels |
What can I do as a Homeowner to offset the effects of stormwater?
First we have to understand how we contribute to the problem.
Did you know a 1,000 sq. ft. roof with a 1 inch rain even can produce 600 gallons of water? And if you have 4 downspouts - 1 at each corner of the building you
will get 155 gallons of water from each downspout.
How do you calculate this figure? It is very easy.
Take the Sq. footage of your roof then multiply it by .6 to get the amount of roof runoff in gallons. This is for a rain fall of 1 inch.
Roof runoff is a key contributor to the problem; while we certainly can't shrink the size of our roofs, we can reduce the runoff problem.
Start with a simple walk about your property. Besides the roof, identify the other sources of stormwater runoff as well. Here are some simple suggestions to
mitigate your stormwater runoff.
The Allegany County Soil and Water Conservation District is in the process of starting a rain barrel and rain garden program. For more information check out the
locations below or contact us.
First we have to understand how we contribute to the problem.
Did you know a 1,000 sq. ft. roof with a 1 inch rain even can produce 600 gallons of water? And if you have 4 downspouts - 1 at each corner of the building you
will get 155 gallons of water from each downspout.
How do you calculate this figure? It is very easy.
Take the Sq. footage of your roof then multiply it by .6 to get the amount of roof runoff in gallons. This is for a rain fall of 1 inch.
Roof runoff is a key contributor to the problem; while we certainly can't shrink the size of our roofs, we can reduce the runoff problem.
Start with a simple walk about your property. Besides the roof, identify the other sources of stormwater runoff as well. Here are some simple suggestions to
mitigate your stormwater runoff.
 | Redirect your downspouts to pervious areas such as lawns and gardens. |
| Direct the runoff to low-impact practices such as Rain Barrels or Rain Gardens. |
| Your driveway may be dirt and gravel, but over time your driveway soils will compact down and become an impervious surface. Stormwater runoff | |
| should not be directed to your driveway. |
| Stormwater flowing over your lawn will go into your road ditch. Be certain the volume and velocity of the stormwater is at the rate your road ditch can | |
| handle. For questions about stormwater runoff going into your road ditch, contact your highway superintendent. |
The Allegany County Soil and Water Conservation District is in the process of starting a rain barrel and rain garden program. For more information check out the
locations below or contact us.