Averaging 43 inches of rainfall per year, Portland, Oregon is home to many rain gardens. These gardens contain plants that absorb pollutants, keeping them from local streams and rivers, and recharge the groundwater supply that provides water for fish and other aquatic life.
A grant from the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services made it possible to showcase this process through an interpretive sign, located in the Oliver P. Lent School rain garden. The sign tells the story of why rain gardens are part of Portland’s strategy for improving the health of its rivers and streams. Each step is described in English and Spanish in the narrative section of the sign.