June 19, 2014

One of last year’s Community Watershed Stewardship Program (CWSP) grant recipients recently finished up its project with great success – and a celebration!

The CWSP program provides grants annually to local organizations.  These grants support innovative projects that improve our community’s watershed health and protect water quality.

Thanks to the grant, St. Mary Ethiopian Orthodox Church in the Lents neighborhood has a beautiful new Rain Garden! For several years, the church and its parking lot flooded during heavy rains. That untreated stormwater would also flow directly into Johnson Creek.   The new Rain Garden soaks up stormwater and filters pollutants - preventing flooding, improving water quality, and even reducing their stormwater fee by 78%!

Things kicked off last fall with a pavement smashing party, and ended in May with a wonderful celebration – ironically in the rain.  The church provided delicious Ethiopian cuisine and thanked the more than 80 volunteers and organizations that helped make their project a success.  

Check out BES’ website for more information about the St. Mary Ethiopian Orthodox Church Rain Garden project.  

‘Rain Garden’ saves church, helps Johnson Creek

David F. Ashton in East Portland News