Rain-garden project aims to help gardens make the most of runoff water

EAST BREMERTON — Yvonne Hagan's neighbors have watched with curiosity as she's slowly dug a hole in the front yard of her East Bremerton home over the past two months, and installed a pipe into it.

Hagan, 66, is building a rain garden, a project that will reduce the amount of stormwater running into Puget Sound. She is one of 63 applicants taking advantage of the Kitsap Conservation District's technical assistance and cost-share program, which matches 50 percent of garden costs, up to $500.

Rain gardens, which on average cost between $1,000 and $1,500, use plants to absorb runoff from surfaces like roofs and driveways. The gardens prevent water from draining into waterways and increasing pollution.

Hagan's rain garden will deliver water from the downspouts along her house to plants that are positioned in the hole based on how much water they need. Plants requiring more water will be in the center; plants needing less on the outside.

Before construction of the rain garden, runoff from Hagan's property flowed into a ditch in front of her home, then into Puget Sound.

Hagan contacted the conservation district, which evaluated her property and determined the need for a garden after seeing how water ran into the ditch.

"Our role is to provide the technical ability for these people," said Joy Garitone, district coordinator. "We educate them, then we help them get the design done."

Because Hagan dug the garden out herself, she estimates she's only spent about $340 on soil and piping. The cost will go up once she begins purchasing plants.

When the rain garden is completed, it will decrease pollution and contribute to the groundwater supply, which provides 80 percent of the county's water.

The district allotted $50,000 from stormwater fees tacked on to property tax bills for the program. The fee is only paid by those in unincorporated parts of the county, therefore only county residents are eligible for the program.

So far, about $31,000 has been committed to projects.