The City of Santa Fe launched a new program to install rain gardens—green stormwater infrastructure designed to reduce flooding and improve water quality—in public spaces throughout the city. The Runoff to Roots Program supports the installation of rain gardens in city parks, open spaces, and public rights-of-way, according to the city.
Rain gardens collect stormwater runoff from paved and impervious surfaces and allow it to soak into the ground, helping reduce peak stormwater runoff, improve water quality, and provide habitat for birds and pollinators while reducing urban heat, the city said.
The program marked a milestone with the completion of a rain garden at the Mary Esther Gonzales Senior Center, celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 21. The new rain garden includes native plants and seed mixes, birdhouses decorated by local seniors, and a bench donated by the city's Senior Services Division. The project also addresses a long-standing drainage issue at the site.