By Anonymous
Interaction:
My Mapping Mason area that I decided to focus on is the Rain Garden located by the Johnson Center, and its function as a natural pollutant filtration system, as well as its function as rainwater retention. As previously stated, the Rain Garden acts as a system that filters out pollutants from ground runoff and stormwater. It mimics the same filtration system as a forest, while it is less effective than a forest, in areas such as GMU wherein having a forest in the middle of campus may be unfeasible a Rain Garden is an excellent option. The Rain Garden also reduces flooding on footpaths by soaking the water and allowing it to penetrate back into the water table. Most Rain Gardens feature a simple water diversion system that directs excess water absorbed in the ground to a sewage system. (EPA, 2021)
Resource Characteristics:
The Resources involved would be the perennial plants used, the water diversion system, as well as the land involved. The plants used take relatively low maintenance and operate using a natural filtration system that can help to protect more pollutant sensitive plants in other areas. “Environmental benefits such as wildlife value, and reduced energy use and pollution, because atmospheric pollutants are captured in leaf canopies and the soil. The shading effect of plants creates a more pleasant microclimate.” (Dunnett et al. 2007)
Governance/ User Characteristics:
The construction of the Rain Garden and the water diversion system are taken care of by the Mason Land Development team. Maintenance is also taken care of by Mason Land Development as well as volunteers from campus residents (Mason Land Development Division, nd). Thankfully the plants involved with the Rain Gardens usually require low maintenance to maintain. There are no political institutions involved, as Rain Gardens fall under the Mason MS4 Stormwater Program. The drivers for the Rain Garden would be the desire for an aesthetically pleasing preventative measure for sidewalk flooding. It also gives the campus an environmentally friendly, low maintenance solution. “Replacing paved surfaces, or intensively managed grass areas, with mixed naturalistic plantings not only results in overall reduced needs for maintenance, and inputs of fertilizer, water and energy, but will also greatly increase the wildlife and habitat value of a garden.” (Dunnett et al. 2007)
Economic setting /Related Ecosystems:
The low upfront cost and maintenance cost for maintaining Rain Gardens makes them an economically attractive investment, it also reduces upkeep costs of the surrounding terrain since the Rain Garden reduces runoff. Plants used for Rain Gardens are typically native plants, which survive quite well in the area being adapted to the land’s natural rain patterns with less need to artificially keep them sustained (like lawns in desert areas). (Emery, 2006). The usage of native plants also allows the Rain Garden to assimilate quickly to the local ecosystem.
Improvement:
My main suggestions for improvement would better maintenance of the areas and wider spread usage of this idea for runoff solutions, and further development into Rain Gardens as to further improve them. The current stations are littered and dirty but if taken care of they have so much potential. It is a proven effective system which can solve flooding issues around campus while being environmentally friendly. “The storage capacity of rain gardens can be fully utilized to reduce flooding in residential areas or for commercial application in an environmentally friendly manner.” (Guo et al. 2018)
Is the University acting?
George Mason University currently has five Rain Garden systems throughout campus. Current development of new buildings and walkways throughout campus could facilitate the creation of more Rain Garden systems.
Photos
References
Dunnett, N., & Clayden , A. (2007). Rain Gardens Managing water sustainably in the garden and designed landscape. Timber Press.
Emery , C. (2006). Rain Gardens Harvest Pollution . Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 4(2), 64.
EPA. (2021, December). Stormwater Best Management Practice – epa.gov. epa.gov. Retrieved April 12, 2022, from https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2021-11/bmp-bioretention-rain-gardens.pdf
Guo, C., Li, J., Li, H., Zhang, B., Ma, M., & Li, F. (2018). Seven-year running effect evaluation and fate analysis of rain gardens in xi’an, Northwest China. Water, 10(7), 944. https://doi.org/10.3390/w10070944
Mason MS4 program. Facilities. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2022, from https://facilities.gmu.edu/resources/land-development/ms4/