Coca Cola Rain Garden

The Coca Cola rain garden was a design/build project that developed through a partnership between EcoGro, Coca Cola, Lexmark International, University of Kentucky Tracy Farmer Center for the Environment and the Bluegrass Rain Garden Alliance. This is the #1 rain garden registered in the Alliance's 2,010 Rain Gardens by 2010 initiative. As Lexington hosts the 2010 World Equestrian Games, we will have many guests flying into the Bluegrass Airport. As viewed from the landing approach, this 3,000 ft² rain garden will be easily recognized as the iconic Coke bottle shape.

It was built to capture stormwater runoff from a ¾ acre parking lot. Sediments, oils, greases and pollutants that collect on the asphalt will wash into the basin, rather than the South Elk Horn Creek. The water will soak into the soil and nurture the native wildflowers and grasses, rather than rushing into the city storm sewer.

Although not the first rain garden, the Coca Cola project will act as a beacon for creative approaches to address many of the water quality concerns in Central Kentucky. This project will be used as a case study for future “Green” infrastructure projects, as well as research on water quality devices and as an educational tool for local schools.