Payne Park: Example Rain Garden Management Plan

A maintenance plan developed by the City of Pawtucket and designer Tim Gerrish, Gardner&Gerrish Landscape Architects LLC, with assistance from URI Cooperative Extension, for a series of rain gardens that will receive runoff from a new spray park in the City of Pawtucket.

• Developed with input from park maintenance staff, considering their available resources and equipment.
• Provides an example management plan for other public and private rain gardens not otherwise available.

1. Payne Park Rain Garden Maintenance and Inspection Checklist

• Consistent with other maintenance checklists used by City staff.
• Action items are placed in order of importance with the most frequent and essential tasks at the top; others performed less often or as-needed follow.
• Space for comments is prioritized to ensure communication between field staff and managers.
• Editable for updates and use by other municipalities and designers.

2. Payne Park Rain Garden Maintenance and Inspection Guidance

• Additional information for owners, crew leaders and managers, with maintenance schedule and troubleshooting tips.
• Editable for updates and use by other municipalities and designers.

3. Payne Park Rain Garden Operation and Maintenance Plan

• For owners, maintenance supervisors, crew leaders, landscape contractors, and others to understand more about rain garden function and maintenance at a glance.
• Provides recommended maintenance schedule and troubleshooting tips.
• Easily customized for new rain gardens.

4. Payne Park Rain Garden Plants Photo Guide

• Photos of specified plantings showing plant form and various life stages to assist in their identification; any other plants found can be assumed to be weeds.
• Note: “In the Weeds: A Guide for Maintaining Vegetation in Stormwater Treatment Systems in RI” is available to identify the most aggressive and invasive weeds that can take over a BMP.
• PowerPoint template Option 1, Option 2, and Option 3. InDesign file available by request.

5. Payne Park Rain Garden Sign

• Image intended for use on RI Green Infrastructure Coalition sign for the Payne Park series of connected rain gardens.
• Illustrated are the species planted in the rain gardens, and how stormwater moves from the recreational spray park through the gardens or pools and infiltrates into the ground.