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2024 Stratton Meadows Raingarden and Food Forest

Raingarden in Stratton Meadows Completed in May 2024

The Colorado Association of Stormwater and Floodplain Managers (CASFM) awarded $5000 to the Fountain Creek Watershed District and its partner, Kelly Bull Permaculture Design, for the installation of a residential raingarden in the Stratton Meadows neighborhood in Colorado Springs.  See images of the site before, during and after the raingarden installation and additional information about raingardens, the Stratton Meadows neighborhood, and design of this raingarden below.

Picture of the front yard and home of a Stratton Meadow neighborhood residence before installing a raingarden
A single-story house with beige siding, white trim, a red door, and an empty front yard with a timber border. seen before installing a raingarden in a Stratton Meadows neighborhood
Image of a preparing a yard for a raingarden with a visible trench showing how to install a storm water drain pipe.
Image of people planting flowers and shrubs for a raingarden and food forest in a Stratton Meadows neighborhood
People working in a yard in front of a house with gardening tools and materials.
A residential front yard with a new raingarden, bench, walkway, and a red door.
A group of people on a FCWD tour in Sep 2024 posing in front of a Stratton Meadows neighborhood house with a raingarden in stalled in May 2024
Picture of the front yard and home of a Stratton Meadow neighborhood residence before installing a raingarden
A single-story house with beige siding, white trim, a red door, and an empty front yard with a timber border. seen before installing a raingarden in a Stratton Meadows neighborhood
Image of a preparing a yard for a raingarden with a visible trench showing how to install a storm water drain pipe.
Image of people planting flowers and shrubs for a raingarden and food forest in a Stratton Meadows neighborhood
People working in a yard in front of a house with gardening tools and materials.
A residential front yard with a new raingarden, bench, walkway, and a red door.
A group of people on a FCWD tour in Sep 2024 posing in front of a Stratton Meadows neighborhood house with a raingarden in stalled in May 2024

 

Yard Sign - stop by and see it for yourself! 2058 South Corona Street Colorado Springs, CO

An educational sign explaining how a raingarden works, its benefits, and contributions to local biodiversity.

About Stratton Meadows

Stratton Meadows is a diverse neighborhood consisting of single-family residential homes and affordable housing apartment complexes with a high population of underserved residents. The implementation of this garden will showcase their numerous benefits including improved water quality, reduced runoff volumes, beautification, and support of pollinator habitat. This pilot project could build into a much grander scale program in the future. As one of Colorado's fastest-growing regions, water conservation and water quality protection are greatly needed in our watershed. Raingardens are a proven tool to protect watershed health for Fountain Creek residents and our downstream neighbors throughout the Arkansas Valley. In addition to stormwater management and water quality benefits, raingardens beautify properties and provide numerous ecosystem services. For more information click on Rain Gardens on our website.

An infographic showing Stratton Meadows' facts, demographics, location, including a map highlighting the area.
Infographic about the Stratton Meadows Area and Communities

Stratton Meadows Rain Garden Design

A detailed garden landscape plan with plant symbols, key, and design elements like sunken beds and wood chip mulch.
Stratton Meadows Rain Garden Design
Neighborhood food forest in progress!!!

Thanks to a grant from the Colorado Association of Stormwater and Floodplain Managers, we partnered with Kelly Bull Permaculture and CONO to design and install edible and water-wise landscapes that will provide food, shade, wildlife support, and beauty to a Colorado Springs neighborhood.

Rain gardens and edible gardens with low-water, pollinator-supporting plants demonstrate how we can use our water resources wisely to create productive gardens that have a healthy effect in the watershed. Not only will the yard be full of food, but it will be buzzing and fluttering with birds, bees and butterflies!

This design utilizes the downspout drainage to water fruit trees, berry bushes, herbs, and flowering perennials. The goal is for a low-maintenance yet highly productive landscape that has a positive effect on the watershed.

We were delighted to have a visit by Colorado Governor Jared Polis, City of Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade and First Lady Abbey, Watershed District Board Member David Leinweber (Colorado Springs City Council), and Colorado Springs Councilwoman Talarico on our planting day!

Governor Jared Polis, Mayor Yemi Mobolade and First Lady Abbey, Watershed District Board Member David Leinweber, and Councilwoman Talarico on planting day, photo credit @mandypennphotography
Governor Jared Polis, Mayor Yemi Mobolade and First Lady Abbey, Watershed District Board Member David Leinweber, and Councilwoman Talarico on planting day, photo credit  @mandypennphotography

Interested in pursuing a watershed community project with the District? Contact fountainckdist@gmail.com.