GREEN SGV Rain Garden Program

In 2025 ActiveSGV will begin the installation of rain gardens at residential homes in the San Gabriel Valley. Interested parties who would like to participate in this program must fill out this application form. The GREEN SGV project is made possible by funding from the US Environmental Protection Agency's Community Change Grant program.

What’s a rain garden? A rain garden is a garden designed to temporarily hold and soak in rain water runoff that flows from roofs, driveways, patios, or lawns. When constructed with native plants, trees, rocks and logs, rain gardens conserve water and finances, reduce air temperature, help clean polluted water and air, and support local wildlife. Rain gardens are dry most of the time, typically holding water only during and following rain showers. As a result, they do not facilitate the breeding of mosquitoes.

Rain Garden Participation Requirements:
  1. The property owner or household member must commit to supporting plant/tree establishment via watering and general site care. Participants will assume long-term responsibility for maintaining their gardens upon project completion, scheduled for 2027. If renting, permission must be obtained from the property owner.
  2. The property must have a front yard that has sufficient space for rain garden installation, ideally between 500 and 1,500 sq ft.
  3. The property owner must grant permission to allow organization volunteers to support rain garden implementation, to help educate, inform, and train SGV residents on how to construct a rain garden.
  4. Property owner must permit ActiveSGV staff to photograph the implementation process to increase public awareness of this nature-based strategy to reduce pollution, mitigate extreme weather flooding risk, conserve water, save money, and support biodiversity.
  5. Property owner must sign a Memorandum of Agreement.

While there will be no cost for homeowners to participate, we anticipate there will be more interest in this program than available supply, and priority will granted to the following:
  • Households composed of older adults, low income residents, and/or persons on fixed incomes;
  • Participants who have one or more neighbors who also wish to participate and meet the guidelines ('neighbor' is loosely defined as within a 3 block radius).
    Program Disqualification Criteria

    Applicants may be disqualified from the program if any of the following conditions apply:
    1. The total available planting space in the front yard is less than 250 square feet or greater than 3,000 square feet.
    2. The lawn contains rhizomatous grass species (such as Bermuda, Zoysia, Kikuyu, or Kentucky Bluegrass), which requires extensive removal efforts that exceed the scope of this program.
    3. The yard contains invasive plant species or trees with aggressive root systems, such as Ficus or Magnolia.
    4. A large tree is obstructing the majority of the yard/ working area.
    5. The applicant is unwilling to plant a tree if the yard currently has none.
    6. The yard has a steep slope, making it unsuitable for rain garden installation.
    7. The slope direction prevents water from impervious surfaces (such as roofs, driveways, or sidewalks) from flowing into the rain garden, reducing its effectiveness.
    8. The street is inaccessible to large delivery trucks or there is no suitable space for unloading materials (e.g., mulch, gravel, or rocks).
    9. The front garden is obscured from street view by a tall fence, hedge, or structure.
    10. The applicant is unable to commit time to maintaining the garden.
    Rain Garden Installation Process

    Selected participants should be aware that the installation process can span several months, depending on staff and volunteer availability, as well as the chosen turf removal method.

    One of the most energy-efficient and environmentally beneficial turf removal methods is sheet mulching. This process involves covering the lawn with a 6-inch layer of wood chip mulch over cardboard to smother the grass. The mulch must remain in place for 3 to 6 months to effectively kill the grass. Once this period has passed, plants can be installed directly into the former lawn without the need to remove the dead grass or the mulch layer.

    Beyond the turf removal phase, participants should also anticipate several weeks for additional work, including digging, installing mulch and stone, and planting. Rain Garden Rangers Days (volunteer days) will take place on weekends.

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