{"id":120,"date":"2015-07-16T09:52:39","date_gmt":"2015-07-16T14:52:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/sustainability\/?page_id=120"},"modified":"2026-01-10T12:03:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-10T18:03:16","slug":"rain-gardens","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/sustainability\/services\/water\/stormwater-management\/rain-gardens\/","title":{"rendered":"Rain Gardens and Cisterns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-rain-gardens\">Rain Gardens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-p-accordion uwm-p-accordion--icon-left-circle\" data-accordion-prefix-classes=\"uwm\" data-accordion-cool-selectors=\"1\"><button class=\"uwm-p-accordion--toggle-button size-p-md\">Expand All<\/button>\n<div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--header\">Pavilion Gateway Demonstration Project &#8211; Heat Plant Parking Lot<\/div><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel\"><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel-inner uwm-u-clear\">\n<p>Parking Lot \u201c18\u201d near the Heat Plant and its surrounding area are the heart of The Pavilion Gateway Demonstration Project. All northerly drainage of the demonstration project comes to this site.&nbsp; The 5,011 sq. ft. spiral garden is planted with native species supporting ecological restoration and habitat creation goals as well as proving the point that native perennial plantings can be seen as decorative gardens in a formal campus setting.&nbsp; The second feature is the treatment train, a 358 linear foot system of vegetated bio-swales that captures runoff from the parking lot. The full Pavilion Gateway Report can <a href=\"https:\/\/panthers-my.sharepoint.com\/:b:\/g\/personal\/knelson6_uwm_edu\/EZnTpGdCIr9MnR0NVTNU9DAB7Iw37TTAEQzctTh-q26hpA?e=ywRmLg\">be accessed&nbsp;here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--header\">Lapham Hall Native Garden<\/div><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel\"><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel-inner uwm-u-clear\">\n<p>In June 2023, the Office of Sustainability, Biological Sciences Greenhouse, and UWM Grounds Department collaborated to install a new native garden in front of Lapham Hall. Over 20 different native plant species will provide for local pollinators as well as provide colorful blooms to the front of Lapham Hall, home to many of UWM\u2019s natural science programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1014\" height=\"586\" src=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/sustainability\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/309\/2024\/03\/laphampic.png\" alt=\"Complex graphic showing the full layout for the Lapham Hall Native Garden.\" class=\"wp-image-2510\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/sustainability\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/309\/2024\/03\/laphampic.png 1014w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/sustainability\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/309\/2024\/03\/laphampic-300x173.png 300w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/sustainability\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/309\/2024\/03\/laphampic-768x444.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1014px) 100vw, 1014px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--header\">Sandburg Hall Rain Garden<\/div><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel\"><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel-inner uwm-u-clear\">\n<p>In order to address the severe slope, pathways, and need for water collection, a rain garden that ends in an underground cistern was developed at this site.&nbsp; This stormwater interpretive path meanders through a series of&nbsp;native plant waysides, improving water quality all the way to its underground collection. There it becomes a source of&nbsp;sustainable irrigation, for growing the many vegetables, herbs, and fruits of these campus gardens.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--header\">Sabin Hall Rain Garden<\/div><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel\"><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel-inner uwm-u-clear\">\n<p>A disconnected downspout, native plantings, and slope design all work together to reduce the rate of stormwater runoff from the roof of Sabin Hall. Rainwater (or snowfall) is routed to the garden and filtered naturally by the plants and soils in this garden. This filtration process removes nutrients and pollutants, while retaining water closely to the site. By keeping as much rainwater as possible close to where it falls, we reduce the impact on our lakes and streams, as well as the local wildlife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sabin Hall rain garden was established by the student organization EcoTone. With the help of grant funding, and volunteers, this garden was planted in 2006.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-above-ground-cisterns\">Above Ground Cisterns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-p-accordion uwm-p-accordion--icon-left-circle\" data-accordion-prefix-classes=\"uwm\" data-accordion-cool-selectors=\"1\"><button class=\"uwm-p-accordion--toggle-button size-p-md\">Expand All<\/button>\n<div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--header\">Heat Plant Cisterns<\/div><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel\"><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel-inner uwm-u-clear\">\n<p><strong>12,360 gallon double cistern<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The project consists of two linked sculptural cisterns and a pair of sluices &#8211; one conveying water into the system from the Power Plant and another conveying water into the Spiral Garden as an overflow from the cisterns. A small sculptural fountain jet and a hidden lower outlet drains the system over a twenty four hour period following each rain event.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--header\">Physics Garden Catchment<\/div><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel\"><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel-inner uwm-u-clear\">\n<p><strong>350 gallon cistern off the Physics south awning<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This simple cistern not only diverts rainwater runoff from the combined sewer system, but it also helps supply half the water necessary to support 58 rented garden plots. The original concept and design was completed by UWM students in Engineers Without Borders with support from a Southeastern Wisconsin Watershed Trust grant.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-below-ground-cisterns\">Below Ground Cisterns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-p-accordion uwm-p-accordion--icon-left-circle\" data-accordion-prefix-classes=\"uwm\" data-accordion-cool-selectors=\"1\"><button class=\"uwm-p-accordion--toggle-button size-p-md\">Expand All<\/button>\n<div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--header\">Sandburg Garden Aqua Blox Cistern<\/div><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel\"><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel-inner uwm-u-clear\">\n<p><strong>5,000 gallon modular cistern<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This stormwater path meanders through a series of native plant waysides, improving water quality all the way to its underground Aqua Blox collection. There it becomes a source of sustainable irrigation, for growing the many vegetables, herbs, and fruits of Sandburg campus gardens.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--header\">Cambridge Cistern<\/div><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel\"><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel-inner uwm-u-clear\">\n<p><strong>20,268 gallon cistern<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This greywater system collects rainwater to water both the green roofs and the green space surrounding Cambridge Commons.&nbsp; The water collection can be monitored and tracked online&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/buildingdashboard.net\/uwm\/#\/uwm\/cambridge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--header\">Children&#8217;s Center Cisterns<\/div><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel\"><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel-inner uwm-u-clear\">\n<p><strong>30,000 gallon cistern<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are multiple cisterns around campus installed underground in order to capture large amounts of stormwater runoff as part of each building\u2019s construction.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--header\">Additional Cisterns<\/div><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel\"><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel-inner uwm-u-clear\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sandburg East Tower\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>8,000 gallon cistern<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kenwood Integrated Research Complex\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>12,000 gallon cistern<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-around-the-community\">Around the Community<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Rain gardens exist throughout the community. Close by UWM there are also rain gardens at the Shorewood High School, North Point Lighthouse in Lake Park, as well as along Bradford Beach to capture and filter polluted runoff before it reaches Lake Michigan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Utilize the buttons below to find out more about planting a rain garden in your own backyard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-u-flex uwm-u-flex--left\">\n<a class=\"uwm-c-button uwm-u-mr-20 uwm-u-mb-20\" href=\"http:\/\/www.mmsd.com\/gi\/green-infrastructure\/rain-gardens\" rel=\"\">MMSD Rain Garden How-To<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"uwm-c-button uwm-u-mr-20 uwm-u-mb-20\" href=\"http:\/\/dnr.wi.gov\/topic\/Stormwater\/raingarden\/\" rel=\"\">Wisconsin DNR Rain Gardens<\/a>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rain Gardens Above Ground Cisterns Below Ground Cisterns Around the Community Rain gardens exist throughout the community. Close by UWM there are also rain gardens at the Shorewood High School, North Point Lighthouse in Lake Park, as well as along &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":522,"featured_media":0,"parent":376,"menu_order":45,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"class_list":["post-120","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Office of Sustainability<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/sustainability\/services\/water\/stormwater-management\/rain-gardens\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rain Gardens and Cisterns\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Rain Gardens Above Ground Cisterns Below Ground Cisterns Around the Community Rain gardens exist throughout the community. 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