Rain Garden
Round Hill Park Visitors Center Rain Garden
651 Round Hill Road
Elizabeth, PA 15037
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The rain garden at the Round Hill Park Visitors Center is designed to capture and treat rainwater from the building’s roof and paving, and educate park visitors about storm water management. The demonstrational rain garden also serves as an educational opportunity for property or business owners to imagine how a similar type of installation can benefit their own property. Find more information on the benefits of rain gardens.
Allegheny County has been implementing green infrastructure projects like this throughout county facilities, including the latest green parking lot in South Park near the Fairgrounds and another in Deer Lakes Park near the spray park. Other green projects include bioswales—a specialized channel or ditch to collect or direct water—and planted gardens to help with storm water filtration in the courtyards of the Allegheny County Courthouse and Glen Hazel Kane Facility, plus multiple rain gardens and planted meadows through the county’s nine parks.
A portion of the funding for this project was provided by the Allegheny County Parks Foundation by a grant through the EQT Foundation.
Round Hill Rain Garden
What is a Rain Garden?
In constructed environments, such as the county parks' facilities, installations like the rain garden are critical to mimic how runoff water would behave in otherwise undeveloped conditions. Water is routed to absorb into soil instead of flowing straight into nearby streams, which can reduce downstream flooding. Rain gardens allow pollutants to settle out of runoff, and the added plants help to filter out chemicals which keeps streams clean and clear. In addition to functionally mitigating rainwater runoff, rain gardens also beautify the landscape and are densely planted with native plants that attract beneficial insects and pollinators.
| Round Hill Rain Garden Benefits |
Water Collection Capabilities
|
Manages approx. 800 gallons of rainfall
Can treat and filter up to 31,200 gallons of rain |
| Actual Output |
More than 6,000 bottles of water |
Plant Life
|
- Winterberry
- Switchgrass
- Thread Leaf Coreopsis
- Bee Balm
- Blue Flag Iris
- Black-Eyed Susan
|
Rain Garden Scavenger Hunt in the Parks
While exploring the Allegheny County Parks, visitors are encouraged to discover all the green installations that help support and maintain the natural beauty of the parks. There are several other rain garden in the county parks, including:
- 2 near the Four Seasons Lodge in Boyce Park
- 2 at the tennis and pickleball courts in Boyce Park
- 1 near the spray park in Deer Lakes Park
- 5 at Hartwood Acres Mansion in Hartwood Acres Park
- 2 at the green parking lot in South Park
Can you find them all?