© Earth Partnership for Schools•University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum Perform Site Analysis 2-3
Background
Determining the soil type for your proposed rain garden is an important
factor for calculating its size.
Two other factors needed to size a...
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© Earth Partnership for Schools•University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum Perform Site Analysis 2-3
Background
Determining the soil type for your proposed rain garden is an important
factor for calculating its size.
Two other factors needed to size a garden are
drainage area and percent slope.
Together these three factors give you the
square footage needed to collect and infiltrate 100% of the rain water that
falls in the drainage area.
The type of soil influences the size and depth of the
garden area.
If the soil is sandy, rain gardens can be smaller and deeper because water drains quickly.
If the soil has more clay, the garden will need to
be larger and shallower because water drains more slowly.
It is important to
allow water to drain quickly so that mosquitoes will not complete their life
cycle from egg to insect.
Determining soil type, drainage area and slope will
ensure that water will soak into the garden within 6 to 12 hours.
There are several methods to identify the ty
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