New Runoff to Roots Rain Garden Completed

We are pleased to share the completion of the new Runoff to Roots rain garden at the Mary Esther Gonzales Senior Center. The Runoff to Roots Program supports neighborhoods that want to install rain gardens in public spaces, including City parks, open spaces, and public rights-of-way. Rain gardens collect stormwater runoff from paved and other impervious surfaces and allow it to soak into the ground. This can improve water quality, reduce peak stormwater runoff, provide habitat for birds and pollinators, and help reduce urban heat.

Thanks to our dedicated volunteers, local seniors, City teams, and the State of New Mexico, the new rain garden at the Mary Esther Gonzales Senior Center also helps address an ongoing drainage issue at the site.

Project Highlights

• Volunteers designed and built the rain garden with oversight from City of Santa Fe River and Watershed Section staff and will continue to help maintain it.

• Parks and Open Space Division crews helped excavate the rain garden footprint and delivered rock donated by the New Mexico Forestry Division.

• The River and Watershed Section purchased birdhouses that were decorated by seniors who visit the Mary Esther Gonzales Senior Center.

• The Senior Services Division donated a bench for the site.

• Native plants and seed mixes were specifically selected to provide pollinator benefits and bird habitat.

Join Us

Friday, August 21, 2026

10 a.m.

Mary Esther Gonzales Senior Center

1121 Alto Street

Come see the completed rain garden and learn more about how the Runoff to Roots Program is helping manage stormwater while creating a healthier urban environment.

Click here to visit our website and learn more about the City's watershed initiatives.