• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Employment
  • Board
  • Staff
  • News
  • Events
  • Reports
  • Resources
  • Contact
Fillmore SWCD

Fillmore SWCD

Promoting Natural Resource Stewardship

  • District
    Programs
    • Soil Health
    • Local Water Management
    • Ag Best Management Practices (AgBMP)
    • Well Sealing
    • Windbreaks
    • Buffers
  • State and Federal
    Programs
    • Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
    • Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP)
    • Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
    • Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program – MAWQCP
    • State Cost Share
    • Root River Watershed One Watershed, One Plan
    • Root River Field to Stream
    • Volunteer Nitrate Monitoring (VNMN)
    • Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM)
    • Wetland Conservation Act (WCA)
    • Watershed Pollutant Load Monitoring Network
  • Services
    • Well Water Testing
    • Rain Barrels
    • Tree Sales
    • Grazing Management
    • Nutrient Management
  • Education
    • Envirothon
    • Sixth Grade Conservation Day
    • Conservation Kids
    • Classrooms & Event Presentations
    • Scholarships
  • Root River Watershed
    One Watershed, One Plan
  • Conservationist
    of the Year
  • Everyday
    Conservation
    • Urban Conservation
    • Recreational Conservation Activities
    • Volunteer
  • Show Search
Hide Search

Rain Barrels: Effective, Economical, and Convenient

A rain barrel is a rainwater collection system that stores rooftop runoff to be used for watering lawns and gardens. 

When rainwater falls off your rooftop, it runs into gutters and downspouts and then either soaks into the soils of the surrounding landscape or flows into the street. The water that ends up in the street is called storm water. Excess storm water carries a wide variety of pollutants such as gasoline, motor oil, heavy metals, trash, and urban fertilizers and pesticides from lawns.

Rain barrels are typically positioned at the bottom of your gutter downspouts, which help collect water from an impervious surface (your roof) at the source, before it has a chance to pick up any additional pollutants from streets or parking lots, and then carrying it to streams and rivers.  You can also combine the rain barrel so the overflow drains into a well-designed rain garden to help further reduce the runoff volume and contaminants getting into the streams. 

The Fillmore SWCD offers an EZ-2-Assemble Rain Barrel Kit for $40.

You can order it through our tree order form and also order it at our office anytime during the year. Barrels can be painted or decorated as desired. Most commercially available rain barrel systems can cost 2 to 3 times more than what the SWCD offers. We can also help you design a custom rainwater collection system depending upon your situation.  Systems have been designed for homes, schools, cemeteries, and businesses. We have even designed systems that utilize multiple 275-gallon containers in a series that stored water for future use at a community garden.

Many homeowners have to drag a long garden hose, or carry multiple watering cans to their gardens.  Have you ever considered collecting rain water from the garden shed that is next to the garden? In just a 1” rainfall, the water from a common garden shed (8’ x 10’) will fill a 55-gallon rain barrel. This water would be right next to the garden, and be incredibly convenient.

If you are interested in a rain barrel, or want a custom designed setup, let us know.
We provide technical assistance to design your rain barrel or rain garden.
Contact Aaren Mathison, Conservation Technician, at aaren.mathison@fillmoreswcd.org or (507) 765-3878 Ext 109.

Fillmore SWCD District Services

Private Well Water Testing

Private well owners, public water suppliers, cities, counties, agencies, and anyone else interested in having their water tested for bacteria can do so at the Fillmore SWCD office.
Learn More

Rain Barrels

A rain barrel is a rainwater collection system that stores rooftop runoff to be used for watering lawns and gardens.
Learn More

Tree Sales

The tree program was developed to provide landowners with an affordable and convenient way to purchase trees and shrubs for conservation practices, such as windbreaks, shelterbelts, living snow fences and wildlife habitat.
Learn More

Grazing Management

Grazing Management assistance is available for producers living within the Root River Watershed who would like to improve their grazing systems.
Learn More

Nutrient Management

Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) is managing the amount, source, placement, form and timing of the application of plant nutrients and soil amendments.
Learn More

Fillmore SWCD

Copyright © 2023 · Website Design and Hosting by SMG Web Design in Preston, Minnesota.