Help Your Yard Protect Water Quality Communitywide
Rain Garden Grants Available
February 14, 2019
Tallahassee has a beautiful natural environment, and residents can help preserve it by using sustainable gardening practices in their yards. Rain gardens, specifically, help protect local water resources, such as lakes and streams. To encourage property owners to install a rain garden, the City of Tallahassee is once again providing grants.
Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Grants, not to exceed $175 each, will be awarded. Once the rain garden is successfully installed, reimbursement for the amount of the actual documented cost (up to $175) should be received within 45 days. Only owners of property located within the Tallahassee City limits are eligible, and first-time applicants will receive priority consideration. Rain garden grant applications can be found at http://tappwater.org/rain-gardens.cfm.
A rain garden is a landscaped area that is designed to capture and hold excess rain water for a short period of time, allowing it to soak into the soil and recharge the groundwater. Planting native and adapted plants is typically recommended as they are more tolerant of the local climate, soil and water conditions. Rain gardens also help slow the flow of water from a yard during and after a storm, which helps reduce water pollution to area waterbodies.
Rain garden grants are one of the City's many sustainability-focused efforts. If you have questions about the application process, please contact TAPP coordinator Courtney Schoen at (850) 891-8754 or courtney.schoen@talgov.com. To learn more about small personal changes that can help keep local lakes, sinks and streams cleaner, visit www.TAPPwater.org.
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