Rain gardens should reduce pollution, runoff along 98th Avenue

Oakbrook — Peterson Creek, which flows into Burnt Bridge Creek, takes on 26,000 gallons of water for every half-inch of rainfall; that water is chock full of oil, grease, dissolved metals and other street-level pollutants. Now, the city of Vancouver is preparing a series of rain gardens and tree-lined medians along Northeast 98th Avenue, from Burton Road to 34th Street, that will filter those pollutants and vastly reduce the amount of stormwater washing into the creeks. Meetings with neighbors have already been held, and construction is tentatively set for spring 2013. The money comes from a state Ecology Department. To learn more, visit http://www.cityofvancouver.us/98AveProject.