1. Rain Garden (Bioretention Cell) - These gardens were planted in 2007 as part of a Rouge River Project research and outreach project. Both gardens were retrofit around existing catch basins, with optional underdrains and stone reservoirs included. The only difference between the two gardens is the composition of the planting soil. The addition of topsoil and clay in one of the gardens slowed down the infiltration rate; using more compost in the other increased the volume of water that can be stored.
View the Rain Garden Video
2. Bioswale - This bioswale was completed in 2005 as part of the A. Alfred Taubman Student Services Center landscaping. The bioswale is 3 feet deep and consists of native grasses and shrubs over engineered soils designed to filter water run-off. The bioswale was designed to handle a 10-year storm event before overflowing into existing stormwater systems.
View the Bioswale Video
3. Rain Garden - This rain garden was constructed in June 2011 as part of a student project. It consists of five native plant species carefully selected for this site's conditions. LTU will retrofit the garden in 2012 to include "dry" river rock beds to facilitate the flow of stormwater into the garden.
4. Stormwater Harvesting/Cistern - The vegetated roof retains approximately 70% of annual precipitation, with the remainder draining into this 12,000-gallon underground cistern. The cistern recycles the "grey" water into the Taubman Center to flush toilets.
View the Stormwater Harvesting/Cistern Video
5. Vegetated Roof - The Taubman Center's 10,000-square-foot Hydrotech Garden Roof includes a 4-inch granular soil that supports 9 different species of sedum ground cover. The roof has been monitored since 2007 and has proven effective in water management and energy savings.
View the Vegetated Roof Video
6. Porous Paver System - This outdoor dining patio was constructed in 2009 with Uni-Lock Eco-Stone pavers. The porous pavers allow water to infiltrate into the engineered stone layer below. The 6-inch layer is designed to hold stormwater and allow it to infiltrate into the native soil layer below with zero run off.
View the Porous Paver System Video
7. Riparian Buffer Zone - Lawrence Tech planted two acres of riparian grow zones in 2009 as part of a RRNWDP grant. This area is the smaller of the two zone and is vegetated with more than 20 species of native plants and grasses to protect a small tributary of the Rouge River flowing through campus. This buffer zone plays a key role in improving water quality by filtering run off.
View the Controlled Burn Video