We specialize in the design and construction of bioswales in the San Francisco Bay Area.
It’s important that bioswales be designed and constructed by someone that knows firsthand what works and of what doesn’t work. Bios wales in theory are a good thing, but if they are not designed and constructed properly they can be destructive.
What is a bioswale :
Man made bioswales are an excavated V ditch or channel designed to capture and channel runoff water. They differ from a normal drainage channel or swales through the incorporation of specific features like plants and grasses that enhance storm water pollutant removal.
What does a bioswale do:
Bioswales differ from conventional water conveyance systems like gutters or drainage ditches. These systems don’t allow absorption or filtering of the runoff water. Bioswale are different in that they are designed to slow the movement of runoff water. This does two things. First, it helps prevent flooding by allowing water to be absorbed into the ground. Second, contaminants in the runoff water are filtered soil and plants in the bioswale
TYPES OF PLANTS AND GRASSES YOU MIGHT SEE IN A BIOSWALE
- Curb inlet – The inlet allows water to flow into the bioswale as it flows down the curb toward the catch basin.
- Outlet – Larger bioswales also have an outlet. If the bioswale fills to capacity, water can exit through the outlet and continue into the catch basin.
- Plants – all bioswales have plants and grasses which have been carefully selected to ensure they can survive on wet and dry periods.