Hollygrove Rain Gardens

Small Center Engagement

While conducting the collaborative Hollygrove Greenline project, Small Center created a rain garden demonstration at a community health fair to illustrate some of the ways to mitigate localized flooding in Hollygrove. Responding to great interest, Small Center then hosted a workshop which trained residents to assess their own properties and create rain gardens to capture stormwater runoff. Working with the Carrollton-Hollygrove CDC, Dana Brown & Associates, and Trinity Christian Community, the team was able to design and build the first five rain gardens on individual residential lots across the neighborhood, serving to reduce flooding, clean water, and destigmatize the idea of capturing rather than shedding stormwater.

Partner Organization

The Carrollton Hollygrove Community Development Corporation (CHCDC) is a non-profit organization whose mission is the development of affordable housing to low-and moderate-income households, and, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, to promote neighborhood revitalization and recovery.

Outcome

The rain gardens were completed in Summer 2013, and continue to serve the individual households by allowing water to infiltrate into the ground rather than flood the properties; the gardens also serve the city by preventing stormwater runoff from entering the municipal system, contributing to street flooding and requiring pumping out of the city.

Collaborators

Carrollton-Hollygrove Community Development Corporation (CHCDC)

Dana Brown & Associates

Longue Vue House & Gardens

Louisiana Growers

Trinity Christian Community