Check with your local municipality for landscaping regulations that may apply in your community.
You may want to create a scaled drawing of existing conditions. Mapping the property in a scaled drawing provides key information as to where rainwater management practices can be implemented. In addition, this will help you identify problem areas in the landscape that need to be solved. Then you can create a drawing that incorporates your chosen designs.
Download graph paper to begin making your scaled drawing Download drawing instructions and an example
Consider including the following in your drawing (click on each topic in the flowchart below to view that section):
Identify Slope & Drainage
Indicating where slopes exist and to which direction they drain will give a clear picture of those areas that contribute to rainwater runoff and may be prone to erosion. Be sure to assess whether your slopes are steep, moderate or gentle.
Continue on to Identify Human Use Areas
The Missouri Botanical Garden Rainscaping Guide is partially funded by the Mabel Dorn Reeder Foundation and US EPA Region 7 through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (subgrant number G11-NPS-15), under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act.