All stormwater runoff from the new Waterview Apartments development in south La Crosse flows naturally to the Mississippi River. So from the beginning, developer Nick Roush intended to exceed requirements for reducing suspended solids in the runoff, to protect the river.
Roush Rentals is our 2019 Soak It Up! Award winner. He and his group met their goal with creative landscaping that includes these water friendly features
Water from every downspout flows to a separate rain garden.
Bio-filter basins absorb water from the parking lot, sidewalks, and street.
A swale around the property creates a moat where excess water is held for 12 to 24 hours after a rain or during spring snow melt, keeping it from the river.
Native trees planted throughout the property provide shade and soak up water.
Hundreds of sturdy native plants are planted throughout the property to add beauty, loosen soil for water absorption, attract pollinators, and thrive even if chemicals are necessary to manage winter ice.
Cardboard from Smith’s Bike Shop was used as a weed barrier instead of synthetic landscape fabric.
With proper grading and curb cuts, runoff is filtered through break rock and engineered sand before it reached the Mississippi River.
“It’s a symbiotic little circle where everyone benefits,” said Roush, “I love situations where everyone involved wins. We try to use good materials and design landscaping so we have a product that will last a long time, be kind to the environment, and be a great long term investment for our community. We approach every project we build this way, and fully intend to keep it up!”
Congratulations to Roush Rentals | Waterview Apartments. Watch for announcements in spring 2020, when modern educational signage will be installed to highlight the site’s features.
| See more about work done at Waterview Apartments HERE |
The Soak it Up! Award honors citizens who have completed a landscaping project that reduces stormwater runoff. Nominees lead by example, inspiring other community members to take on projects.
