On October 1, 2021, the Coquitlam River Watershed Roundtable broke ground on its demonstration rain garden in Lions Park, Port Coquitlam.

Excavator breaking ground for the rain garden

The site was heavily compacted, so the excavation crew removed the top layer of grass and dug down 18”, then backfilled the site with the excavated material. Next, we brought in a 50-50 mixture of ¾” clear crush and pea gravel to create a path for water to meander through the garden. Then we brought in our stormwater management team and community volunteers to help deposit the garden soil and contour the garden.

With the help of the City of Port Coquitlam, we will be directing downspouts from all corners of the adjacent building to discharge into rain barrels near the garden. Water collected in the rain barrels will be used to irrigate the garden during the dry season when possible. Overflow from the rain barrels will be released into trenches and guided into the garden.

Volunteers filled in the soil for the new rain garden

With the help of a wonderful team of volunteers, we have created a planting plan with native drought and wet tolerant plants, including a number of bird and pollinator-friendly species.

If you are interested in participating in future planting events, please email us.

The rain garden has been made possible by the generosity of Vancity, Jack Cewe Construction Ltd. and the City of Port Coquitlam.

Watershed Watch is a founding member of the Coquitlam River Watershed Roundtable which promotes the long-term sustainability of the Coquitlam River watershed. Hailed by water management experts across B.C. as a model of collaboration and problem-solving, the Coquitlam River Watershed Roundtable includes representatives from a diverse cross-section of interests in the watershed including First Nations, all levels of government, business, education, recreation and community organizations.