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Chatham Township Environmental Commission
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Adjacent to the parking lot of SBS is a storm water retention basin. The basin was built originally in 2002 as a mowed turf storm water basin designed to slow rainwater runoff from the school parking lot storm drains. In 2005, Girl Scout Troops of The Chathams, Boy Scout Troops, Members of the Chatham Township Environmental Commission, and other community members planted the forebay of the basin to retrofit it into a bio-filtration basin and wildlife habitat—thanks to a Natural Resource Conservation Service Grant. Later, the Chatham Township EC and community members worked to create a Rain Garden too.
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Here’s how the Chatham Township Native Wildlife Habitat protects local drinking water:
Rain from the school’s parking lot goes into storm drains and empties into the cement pipe that comes out into the little pond at the bottom of the basin near the gate. Plant root systems filter sediment, oils, road salt, and other pollution and make the ground more porous for water to seep back into the ground. Then the cleaner storm water flows to the back part of the basin and out a pipe by the cement cube at the far end of the back bay. From there it joins a storm water pipe, flowing towards Southern Boulevard, and pours out by the Chatham Township Gazebo into a tributary
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of Black Brook, one of the feeder streams of the Great Swamp. The Swamp is headwaters for the Passaic River. The Passaic River is one of the main sources of drinking water for the NJ American Water Company, which provides tap water for most of Chatham Township.
Use of the Native Wildlife Habitat/Rain Garden:
All Chatham Township citizens are welcome to enjoy the habitat/ rain garden at SBS.
Parents, Girl Scout Leaders, and Boy Scout Leaders can bring their supervised children and Scouts there after school and all summer long.
SBS teachers use the habitat for poetry or descriptive writing, for art projects, and science activities, such as release of butterflies raised in the classroom. On Earth Day each year, all first grade classes are led by parents to the habitat for a nature scavenger hunt.
In the fall of 2009, kindergartners will be assisted by Master Gardeners in planting a daffodil bowl.
How to Have Your Own Rain Garden
You can have a rain garden in your own yard to capture storm water, clean the local
drinking water and prevent soil erosion at the 96 storm water outlets that enter the Great
Swamp from Chatham Township. Simply plant a perennial rain garden in a depression
in your yard. If you use low-maintenance native plants, you will have the added benefit
of feeding native butterflies, birds and enhancing the local ecosystem. For a list of plants native to the Chatham Township area check out www.chathamtownship.org and click on Environmental Commission.
*Instructions:
Rain Garden Planning: Size depends on the area of water that will drain into the
garden, the type of soils on the site, and the depth of the garden. A typical
rain garden ranges from 100 to 300 square feet with a depression depth of 3-
8inches. Evaluate existing drainage infrastructure on the site and identify
desired garden features.
*Instructions courtesy of www.SustainableJersey.com
HELPFUL LINKS:
Rain Garden Education/Training Resources:
Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program
Rain Garden Information Center
Project assistance is available from the Extension’s “Rain Garden Team”
water.rutgers.edu/Rain_Gardens/RGWebsite/rginfo.html
Rain Garden Case Studies:
New Jersey Demonstration Rain Gardens
More than 25 demonstration sites across New Jersey have been installed
With the assistance of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water
Resources Program
water.rutgers.edu/Rain_Gardens/RGWebsite/demoraingardens.html
Rain Garden General Resources:
Low Impact Development Center
Rain Garden Design Templates
www.lowimpactdevelopment.org/raingarden_design/index.htm
Native Plant Society of New Jersey
Rain Gardens Page
www.npsnj.org/rain_garden_home.htm
New Jersey Master Gardeners
njaes.rutgers.edu/mastergardeners/
"For futher information about the Chatham Township Native Wildlife Habitat/Rain Garden, please contact the Chatham Township Environmental Commission (click here: EC-contact.html).
WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP US WITH A PROJECT?
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58 Meyersville Road, Chatham, NJ 07928 • Voice: 973-635-4600 • Fax: 973-635-2644
Monday - Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm, Except Holidays
