Rain Gardens to the Rescue

Friends of the Rouge, Redord Township, and corporate and community volunteers came together to create a huge rain garden in Redford Township’s Claude Allison Park.  The nearly 4,500 sq. ft. rain garden is designed to capture and temporarily store nearly 30,000 gallons of rainwater every time it rains.  This prevents a staggering 586,000 gallons of rainwater from flowing into the Township’s combined sewer system annually!  The result – less sewage flowing into the Rouge River and less sewage water backing up into residential basements.  The garden also provides beauty and interest to park users and critical habitat for our declining pollinator species (birds, bees, butterflies, moths and other beneficial insects).  That’s a win for everyone!

Simple solutions, such as the Claude Allison Park rain garden, are relatively low cost and engage the community in healthy activities where they learn of actions that they can take at home to be part of the solution to Rouge River and Great Lakes pollution.  Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a community to restore a river.  Rain gardens or nature-based solutions are the answer. 

Friends of the Rouge put Rain Gardens to the Rescue™ at dozens of additional sites across Metro Detroit in 2025.  These projects engaged thousands of volunteers in creating 18,000 sq. ft. of gardens that provide 52,146 gallons of stormwater storage and prevent nearly 600,000 gallons of rainwater from flowing into sewer systems to help alleviate downstream flooding and protect families from having to cleanup basements after the flood and worry about dangerous mold in their homes. 

Join us for our next rain garden installations, tree plantings and maintenance parties in Dearborn, Detroit, Highland Park, Hamtramck, Plymouth, Redford Twp., Canton Twp., and more.  Visit www.therouge.org to learn more. 

Links:

• Nonprofit & community team up to create rain garden with native
• Friends of the Rouge website