GULFPORT – The Gulfport Sustainability Committee completed work on its first rain garden in the city of Gulfport, Fla. The rain garden, located near the Gulfport Recreation Center at 5730 Shore Blvd. S., was designed and built by volunteers. The group continues to maintain the garden by watering, weeding, and adding new plants.
Rain gardens perform the following functions: filter stormwater runoff before it enters local waterways, alleviate problems associated with flooding and drainage, recharge groundwater, and provide habitat and food for wildlife.
The Rec Center Rain Garden was paid for with grants from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council.