For years, scientists and conservationists up and down the 156-mile-long Indian River Lagoon have said the best way to clean up the troubled waterway is to prevent nutrients and pollutants from entering it in the first place.
And one of the major sources of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, oil, grease and heavy metals pouring into the lagoon is stormwater run-off. This unfiltered, untreated water that flows from homes, businesses, farms and roadways directly into the estuary is blamed for fueling the algae blooms that have killed sea grass, fish and other marine life over the past decade.
Now, Sunrise Rotary Vero Beach has come up with a plan aimed at reducing runoff pollution – one residence at a time. The 100-member community service organization has announced a new incentive program that will pay Vero Beach homeowners who live within 1½ miles of the lagoon up to $250 to build a rain garden on their property.
The program is the brainchild of Vero Beach landscape architect and Rotary president Robin Pelensky, who has designed water-cleansing gardens in The Moorings, at Vero Beach City Hall, and at Storm Grove Middle and Citrus Elementary schools.
Pelensky says the small, decorative plots made with native plants, grasses and wildflowers are designed to take in pollutants from stormwater that bounces off roofs, driveways and patios and filter it through the soil and vegetation before it enters groundwater supplies.
“The city has a big impact on the lagoon,” Pelensky said. “So Rotary felt like it would be a good idea to start the project in the city. This kind of incentive program is not new; it’s going on all over the country. In many areas, it’s a significant part of the urban landscape.”
To participate in the program, residents will fill out an application, then attend a workshop conducted by Pelensky to learn what to plant and how to construct and maintain the gardens.
Rain gardeners can build the plots themselves or hire a local landscaper. When finished, Rotary will inspect them to make sure they’re working, and if they pass muster, will pay the homeowner $2 per square foot, up to $250.
Some misconceptions about rain gardens, Pelensky said, are that they are shallow ponds that attract mosquitoes and are expensive and time consuming to maintain. On the contrary, she said, when properly constructed, they hold water only for about 24 hours – not long enough for mosquitoes to breed.
About one foot to 18 inches deep and filled with native plants, they require no herbicides or pesticides, nor do they need constant watering – mostly just occasional weeding, she said.
A rain garden can be built to any size but should be placed at least ten feet away from the home’s foundation in a dry area, with downspouts routed toward it.
Mike Murphy, chair of Rotary’s environmental committee, said the club has set aside $5,000 from dues and fundraisers for the rain garden program. He hopes other community organizations will join in.
“We hope once people see this as a project with merit, it will get other groups interested. Our club is very excited about it,” he said.
To learn more, visit SunriseRotaryVero.org and click on “lagoon rain garden incentive program”. Or email Pelensky at rpelensky@surlaterrela.com.