Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network‘s Rain Garden Initiative, in partnership with UW-Extension, is focused on  helping others build and maintain rain gardens. Since 2008, Root-Pike WIN has funded 88 different rain gardens in Southeastern Wisconsin to both private and public grant applicants. Their website is full of resources on building gardens from calculating the costs to selecting plants. To view their website, or to view the Rain garden Grant form, follow the links below:
Root-Pike WIN Rain Garden Initiative
Root-Pike WIN Rain Garden Grant Application *
*Garden must be installed within the Pike River Watershed to qualify.

UW-Extension‘s rain garden and rain barrel resource site for the Lake Superior Basin contains basic information on rain gardens and rain barrels and also links to sources for more information or workshops and locations to buy a rain barrel in the northern Wisconsin counties of Iron, Ashland, Douglas and Bayfield. To visit the site, follow the link below.
Lake Superior Rain Barrels and Gardens 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency‘s page on Low Impact Development contains information on bioretention facilities (rain gardens, barrels, permeable pavement), and other green infrastructure systems. To visit the page, follow the link below.
Low Impact Development 

UW-Extension‘s Runoff Information page includes rules for runoff in Wisconsin including links to educational publications and factsheets for land owners. To view the page, follow the link below.
Wisconsin’s Runoff Info 

The Groundwater Foundation gives basic information on rain gardens and stormwater runoff for those who are new to the idea. To view the page, follow the link below.
Rain Gardens 101

Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District‘s Every Drop Counts program contains information on rain gardens, rain barrels, downspout disconnection, and much more. They also have links to different locations for purchasing rain barrels and to the annual plant sale, where rain garden plants are sold at a reduced price. To visit the site, follow the link below.
MMSD Rain Garden Program

Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful’s website contains basic information on rain gardens, rain barrels, composting, and other green practices with the option of signing up for workshops on many topics. You can also purchase rain barrels for pick-up here! To visit the site, follow the link below.
Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful 

Bushman USA is a company that provides rain barrels that range from 60 to 2825 gallons that can be adapted for residential, commercial, and government use. To visit their site, follow the link below.
Bushman USA 

The Blue Thumb program aims to encourage homeowners to use native plant gardening, rain gardens, and shoreline stabilization to reduce runoff from their home landscape in an effort improve water quality. Since we all want clean water, Blue Thumb helps partners present a unified public education message. To visit their site, follow the link below.
Blue Thumb