Sustainable Land Development Today - March 2008 - (Page 11) “As plants in wetlands slowly decompose, the pollutants may be bound up in the wetland peat material,” May said. “As the peat accumulates, layer by layer, and as long as it is kept moist and wet, the pollutants bound in the peat remain trapped, rather than being released.” Wetlands also provide a significant flood-control measure while allowing water to infiltrate the soil and recharge groundwater systems. Location, Location, Location Generally speaking, stormwater wetlands can best be constructed in areas that once held them naturally, with ready access to groundwater. “You would want to site your wetland low in the landscape so it can receive the site’s runoff. Another consideration is access to groundwater, which is important for the health and maintenance of your plant material,” said May. Wetlands should be among the first things to be planned for a development and the last things to be constructed. Early planning allows for the best location to be identified. Bioswales, rain gardens and other green, stormwatercontrol measures can be integrated throughout the A wetland is constructed on a college campus to treat runoff from development, creating more a new parking facility. of a community-wide, surcreate trail systems adjacent to and even face conveyance system, which replaces through them,” Brown said. The more expensive, hard engineered stormwater wetland then becomes more stormwater infrastructure. of an amenity, a park-like setting, that This sort of integrated, surface system creates natural areas for residents to slows the flow of stormwater and, cou- walk through and enjoy. pled with shallow zones at the inlets to Meanwhile, as far as the construction the wetland called a forebay, provides schedule is concerned, the actual wetpre-treatment and additional soil infil- land, complete with proper soils, final tration. grading and vegetation should be the Ted Brown, a water resources engi- last element of the development to be inneer with Biohabitats, recommends that stalled, according to May. designers and developers locate the wet“You don’t want to build a wetland lands in prominent spaces of the devel- and fill it with plants which would only opment, making them more of a part of be smothered by construction runoff. the community. This would also reduce the interaction “If you design them as ‘green fingers’ with the groundwater interface, which is reaching into the development, you can one of the primary functions of wetland NEW! Bigger, Better, Faster CULTEC Recharger® 330XL Stormwater System CULTEC’s new Recharger® 330XL is replacing the Recharger® 330 and features a unit that stores more, takes less time to install and is more cost-efficient. • 13% longer than original 330 model • 12% more storage reduces number of pieces required per system • Added side portals on each unit allow for manifold design flexibility • Elimination of external manifold allows for smaller footprint, less excavation, faster installation • Single or double stacked systems • Limited 10-year warranty Circle 185 • or www.SLDTonline.com/webcard www.SLDTonline.com 11 1-800-4-CULTEC www.cultec.com http://www.cultec.com http://www.cultec.com http://www.SLDTonline.com/webcard http://www.SLDTonline.com
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