Rain Gardens 

A rain garden is a deliberately built depression planted with vegetation that allows storm water from impervious surfaces to collect, briefly settle, then infiltrate into the ground.  Rain gardens have the ability to reduce the amount of pollution entering streams and the ocean by intercepting storm water.  Rain gardens are ‘designed with nature’ as they mimic natural processes by treating and infiltrating storm water into the ground and evaporating it back into the air, much like undeveloped areas.  

Hui o Ko'olaupoko has developed the Hawaiʻi State Rain Garden Manual. The manual is a do-it-yourself guide that helps builders through the processes of locating, sizing, constructing and planting a rain garden on their own properties.  The manual is available for download here, public libraries on all islands, or contact us to purchase a hard copy.

HOK Rain Garden Manual
File Size:	5849 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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Contact us for more information on Rain Gardens and how you can install one on your property.

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Check out the 
Stormwater BMP Registry
See examples of our past completed Rain Garden projects, share your projects and inspire others to adopt stormwater best management practices too!  

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Visit The Rain Gardens:

• Heʻeia State Park Rain Garden, video
• Hawai'i Pacific University Nursing Annex Rain Garden, video 
• Popoi'a Street Retrofit
• Residential Rain Gardens
• Windward Community College
• Wahikuli Beach Park, Maui