“Using Nature to Protect Nature is a way to guarantee clean water in Minnesota now and in the future.”

The City of Maplewood, Minnesota is a community of approximately 30,000 residents, an older suburb lying northeast of St. Paul. The first areas to develop occurred during the late 1800s, and in recent years the city has vigorously focused its efforts on reconstructing the existing streets and utilities in these older neighborhoods. One of the many challenges encountered during this process was the lack of adequate space to treat storm water runoff along with minimal existing storm sewer in these older areas. Maplewood has implemented a policy of encouraging residents to install “rainwater gardens” for stormwater treatment in existing neighborhoods. While neighborhoods had swales added to each property, installation of a garden at the swale was voluntary.

The project was a partnership between the City of Maplewood, U of M, Department of Landscape Architecture, and the Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District. A focus group was held with residents and published so that other communities could use it as a resource when planning their own rain garden projects.

Go to the City of Maplewood Rainwater Garden Website

Brochure: The Stormwater Challenge