How to Get the Rain Garden & Rain Barrel Incentive Program
Elkhart County Soil & Water Conservation District · Elkhart County, Indiana, IN
What you get
The Greater Elkhart County Stormwater Partnership, administered by the Elkhart County SWCD, reimburses homeowners up to $250 for rain garden plants (native vegetation) installed to capture stormwater runoff; a separate $50 reimbursement is available for rain barrels. Open to residents of Elkhart, Goshen, Bristol, and unincorporated Elkhart County. Funds are limited and awarded first-come, first-served (Elkhart County SWCD; last verified July 2026).
- Residential: Up to $250 for rain garden plants
Are you eligible?
- Be a Elkhart County Soil & Water Conservation District customer
- Property located in: Elkhart, Goshen, Bristol
- Homeowner in Elkhart, Goshen, Bristol, or unincorporated Elkhart County
- Attend a live Rain Garden & Rain Barrel Workshop (required for reimbursement eligibility)
- Submit the Rain Garden Application; funds awarded first-come, first-served as available
Before you start
Do not remove turf or begin work before you have written approval. This program requires pre-approval. Starting early can disqualify the project even if everything else is correct.
Reimbursement covers rain garden plants; the program's separate $50 rain-barrel line item is out of scope for this directory (rain-barrel-only exclusion) and is not counted in the cited figure.
What applying usually looks like
A general guide. Always confirm the exact steps on the official program page, since each provider runs its process a little differently.
- 1
Apply and get written approval first
Submit your application to Elkhart County Soil & Water Conservation District and wait for written approval before you remove any turf or start work. Starting early is the most common reason a rebate is denied.
- 2
Do the conversion
Replace your lawn with the qualifying landscaping, following the eligibility requirements above.
- 3
Submit your claim
After the work is done, submit your claim on the official program page. Confirm the exact forms, receipts, and any photos they require there, since those vary by program.
The application checklist
How to apply for the Rain Garden & Rain Barrel Incentive Program
These are the steps this application actually takes. The Pollinator Patch app walks you through each one free, with reminders and a photo locker.
- 1
Submit the application with your drawing and plant list
Design a rain garden of at least 100 square feet total across the property, with no more than one plant per square foot. Fill in the application fields here, attach a dimensioned drawing (it does not
- 2
Attend a live rain garden workshop
You must attend a Partnership-sponsored rain garden and rain barrel workshop before installing. These are held at least once a year, usually in spring, and cover installation, maintenance, and care. N
- 3
Host the site visit, then install after approval
Partnership staff or a designee visit the proposed rain garden site and review your design and plant choices. Once you receive approval, installation may proceed. Keep all plant material receipts.
- 4
Submit receipts for the final visit and reimbursement
When installation is complete, submit your plant receipts to the Partnership. Staff or a designee visit the installed rain garden, and reimbursement follows if they verify the installation satisfies p
In the app
Track this rebate free in the Pollinator Patch app
Free step-by-step guidance for the Rain Garden & Rain Barrel Incentive Program, warnings before the mistakes that disqualify applications, and a photo locker that keeps your before and after photos, receipts, and notes together for the months a rebate takes.
Every program listed cites its official source, and each program page shows the date we last verified it against that source. Program details change throughout the year, so always confirm requirements, amounts, and eligibility directly with the program before starting work. Pollinator Patch is not affiliated with any rebate program and does not guarantee approval.
See a problem with a program? Report it
Programs change throughout the year. If something here is out of date or wrong, tell us and we'll check it against the provider.