Raingardens for the river

Raingarden in bloom

(Photo by Michelle Kopp)

What's a raingarden?

Raingardens beautify a space while also directly improving water quality.  

Raingardens are designed to catch rainwater runoff, helping prevent erosion and filtering pollutants. They also provide wildlife habitat, attract pollinators and bring beautiful plants and wildflowers to your yard.

"A raingarden is simply a garden with a depression that is designed to catch rainwater runoff in your yard, growing plants that don't mind getting partially flooded on occasion. Raingardens provide wildlife habitat and an opportunity to create beautiful landscaping. And, by soaking up rain where it falls, raingardens slow stormwater runoff, help prevent erosion and remove pollutants in the process."
—From The Blue Thumb Guide to Raingardens by Rusty Schmidt, Dan Shaw and David Dods

What you can do

If you're ready to get started on your own, here are some great online resources:

Landscape for the river

Dig into more tips to help protect the river right from your own backyard.

Upcoming Events

Wednesday, June 25, 2025 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Nicollet Island, Minneapolis
Thursday, June 26, 2025 - 5:00pm to 6:30pm
Bad Weather Brewing, St. Paul
April through October
St. Paul

Our River Campaign:
It all starts here

At the heart of this new campaign is the vision of a healthy Mississippi River.