I’d wager that there’s not a soul in the TriCities who wasn’t in some way affected by last weekend’s rain. Hundreds of people got water in places they really didn’t want it. Many possessions were lost. And thousands of us were at the very least inconvenienced by flooded streets and impassable roadways.
As the rain turned from scattered sprinkles on Thursday to downpours on Friday and torrents on Saturday, people began to look at the weather with new regard. Comments of “Well, we need the rain,” turned overnight into exclamations of “Holy cow!” and “When is it going to stop?”
But maybe—and I’m going to go out on a limb here—just maybe the problem wasn’t that we got too much rain. Maybe the problem was that the rain, once it hit the ground, had nowhere to go.
Once upon a time, our region had lots of wetlands—areas where water collected and was absorbed into the ground. One of the functions of a wetland is to act as a sponge, soaking up excess water and gradually returning it to the aquifers underground. But as more and more people discovered the Fox River valley, greater and greater numbers of wetlands were drained or filled.
Today our natural “sponges” are few and far between, having been replaced by housing developments, shopping malls and industrial complexes. Where there were once hydric soils and hydrophytic, or water-loving, plants to absorb excess water, we now have rooftops, driveways, sidewalks, streets and parking lots.
It’s true, these structures are essential parts of our suburban landscape. But they’re also problematic. They’re meant to shield us from precipitation, and to channel it elsewhere. Yet after a rain like we had last weekend—as much as 10 inches in some areas—”elsewhere” becomes basements, garages and living rooms. The impervious surfaces meant to protect us suddenly started working against us.
The bad news is that there’s no quick fix to the present situation. The vast majority of houses are roofed with asphalt shingles; driveways, sidewalks and parking lots are by and large paved with either asphalt or cement.
But the good news is that alternatives to these materials do exist, and each year they become a little bit more popular, a little bit easier to acquire, and a little bit less expensive to install and maintain. These alternatives include green roofs, rain gardens and permeable surface pavers.
In the past few years these options, once regarded as extreme and maybe even a little kooky, have entered the mainstream. And while we don’t have the time or space in this column to discuss the many different forms these environmentally sensible options take, I would like to point out that all of them operate using the same principle: They give the rain someplace to not just go, but to go and stay for a while. And less rain down the drain means less flooding for us folks in Kane.
Right now at the St. Charles Park District, we’re deep in discussion regarding plans for the new environmental education center to be built next year at Campton Hills Park. Not surprisingly, green roofs, rain gardens and permeable pavers will be installed and will function not only as features of the building itself, but also as educational exhibits for people looking to learn more about them. Put the building on your list of things to check out in 2009.
Pam Otto is the manager of nature programs and interpretive services for the St. Charles Park District and can be reached at potto@stcparks.org or 630-513-4346.