Projects: Rain Gardens
Current Projects
Rain Gardens for Wauwatosa
Rain Gardens for Wauwatosa is an incentive program that reimburses City of Wauwatosa residents and businesses up to $800 to install a rain garden in the City of Wauwatosa. The program began in the spring of 2008 and with funding provided by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District and the City of Wauwatosa. An informational meeting on March 27, 2008 attracted 90 participants. The University of Wisconsin Extension's Basin Education Program has partnered with the City of Wauwatosa to provide outreach and education.
A Rain Garden Fair is scheduled for the evening of June 11 at the Hart Park Muellner Buidling in Wauwatosa. Fair booths will exhibit the necessary supplies and materials for installing rain gardens and rain barrels. Exhibitors may include businesses from hardware stores to nurseries to landscape companies. More information about the program, including an application, may be downloaded from the City of Wauwatosa website at http://www.wauwatosa.net+/display/router.asp?docid=3226 .
Rain Gardens Educator's Kit
The Rain Garden Kit is designed for those who educate others about rain gardens. The kit contains a cd with three power point presentations, and a digital photo library of rain gardens, installation, figures and stormwater issues in both .jpeg and .tiff format. It also contains several case studies of rain garden installations from around the state including potential speaker contacts, internet web links, press releases, newspaper stories, workshop flyers, agendas, and hard copies of rain garden publications. The kits can be ordered through Milwaukee County UWEX at a cost of $10.00 per kit.
-Click here- to download the order form for a NEW SPRING 2007 EDITION of the Rain Garden Educators' Kit . (26 k)
Collegiate Rain Garden Challenge
Polluted storm water runoff is the greatest threat to our regions water resources. Rain gardens are one attractive option 
to curbing this type of pollution. The Milwaukee River Revitalization Council and the Milwaukee River Basin Partnership are leading an initiative to promote the use of rain gardens on university campuses in the Milwaukee River Basin. In spring of 2005, the Council and Partnership jointly developed the idea of a friendly competition between local universities to build rain gardens. Several universities have agreed to participate including Alverno College, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), Mount Mary College, Wisconsin Lutheran College, and Marquette University. In June 2006, rain gardens were installed on the campuses of UWM and Alverno College. Three additional rain gardens will be constructed at Mount Mary, Wisconsin Lutheran, and Marquette by Spring 2007.
Rain Garden Demonstrations
info to be provided
Past Successes
Milwaukee River Basin Rain Garden Tour
In Partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Extension Basin Initiative and Southeast Wisconsin Master Gardeners, the second Milwaukee River Basin Rain Garden Tour was held on July 16, 2006, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The tour was free to all and attracted 144 participants.
The event is designed to connect people who want to learn about rain gardens with individuals who will share their knowledge and experience designing and installing their own rain gardens.
An open house, held in conjunction with the tour, was held at the Shorewood Public Library, and featured educational presentations, resources on how to install stormwater reduction practices at home or work, and exhibitors to help design and install rain gardens. This year’s tour also featured “green roof” tour. Our featured green roof, at 20,000 square feet is believed to be the largest vegetative roof on any residential development in the United States.
Participants traveled at their own pace to some or all of the Host Sites. At each garden, the “Host” and a Master Gardener were available to answer questions about the featured rain garden’s design and installation. Hosts were a mixture of homeowners, businesses, and educational facilities located in Milwaukee, Bayside and Shorewood. 
Tour Schedule
11 a.m. - Open House Welcome & Sponsor Presentation
11 a.m. to 4p.m. - Open House Exhibitors, Host Sites Tour
11:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. - How to Build a Rain Garden presentations
12:30, 1:30 and 3:30 pm - Showcasing Private Rain Garden
1 p.m. and 2 p.m. - Highland Gardens Green Roof Tours
Thank you to our Major Sponsors:
“500-Year Flood” Sponsor ($2000) - We Energies
“Torrential Downpour” Sponsors - ($500) LandWorks, Inc. and Wild Ones
Milwaukee River Basin Partnership
1845 N. Farwell Avenue, Suite 100
Milwaukee, WI 53202
(414)763-6170