Maintenance of Rain Gardens, Swales, and Stormwater Planters OLCA Expo December 1, 2011 Photo:...
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Transcript of Maintenance of Rain Gardens, Swales, and Stormwater Planters OLCA Expo December 1, 2011 Photo:...
Maintenance of Rain Gardens, Swales, and Stormwater Planters
OLCA ExpoDecember 1, 2011
Photo: EMSWCD
Partners
Candace Stoughton EMSWCDGail Shaloum Clackamas WESRob Emanuel Clean Water ServicesDamon Richardson Pacific Sports TurfHenry Stevens Portland BESMaria Cahill Green Girl Land Development
Agenda
• What is stormwater? Why manage it?• Legal issues• Role for landscape contractors• Types of facilities• Maintenance activities
• Vegetation• Pests• Irrigation• Soils/Mulch• Structures• Erosion Control• Spills
• Take home messages
What is Stormwater?
Rainfall and snowmelt that runs off instead of seeping into the ground.
Photo: morgueFile
Sources of stormwater?
Rainfall and snowmelt that runs off instead of seeping into the ground.
Roofs
Parking Lots
Driveways
Streets
EMSWCD EMSWCD
Green Girl Land Development morgueFile
Water cycle
Stormwater
Can cause unnatural flooding
East Portland News
Stormwater
Can degrade streams
Photo: East Portland NewsPhoto: morgueFile
Johnson Creek Watershed Council
Stormwater
Carries pollutants to waterways
morgueFile
Rain garden-municipal
Photo: EMSWCD
Planted landscape facility designed to collect and absorb runoff and filter out pollutants.
EMSWCD
Swales (aka bioswales)
Long, planted, open channel that carries, slows stormwater and filters out pollutants.
EMSWCD
Rain garden-residential
Planted landscape facility designed to collect and absorb runoff and filter out pollutants.
EMSWCD
Stormwater planter
Structural landscape reservoir designed to filter out pollutants, and in some cases, infiltrate stormwater.
EMSWCD
Stormwater planter/green street
EMSWCD
Function
Anatomy-Infiltration planter
Graphic: Clean Water Services, LIDA Manual
Anatomy-Flow through planter
Graphic: Clean Water Services, LIDA Manual
What is involved?
• Facilities need inspection and maintenance (annually, or more)
• Maintenance includes:• hydrologic and water
quality function• landscape functions• impacts on human health
and safety
EMSWCD
Business opportunity
P• Landscape Architects• Civil Engineers• Landscape Designers• Landscape Contractors• Green industry professionals
Specialized training to design, inspect and maintain
Example:City of Portland• 9000 stormwater facilities• ≈ ¼ are LID facilities
Metro
Maintenance agreements
Inspection log
• Each jurisdiction will have different requirements for inspections, reporting, etc.
General observations
Before you go…
• O & M plan or manual• As-built or design report• Locations of
inlets/outlets, plantings, irrigation, historical problems, previous observations
Clackamas County Water Environment Service
General observations
Once you arrive…
• Current and recent weather conditions?• Last rain event? • Inlets and outlets clear? • Banks stable? • Draining as designed or short-cutting? • Pavement in good condition? • Animal damage? • Can you access? • Steep or uneven terrain?• People entering/cutting through the facility?
Contributing area
• Trash• Leaves• Oily• Gravel• Sediment• Street or parking lot
sweeping• Fertilizer or pesticide
use• Other activities going
on upstream
Contributing area
Clackamas County Water Environment Services
Contributing area
Clackamas County Water Environment Services Clean Water Services
Safety and access
Access
• Need to have access
• Flat or evenly sloped
• If fenced, trim fenceline for 3 feet if space allows
• Consider safety before you begin (do not enter flooded facility)
Pacific Sports Turf
Safety and access
Clackamas County Water Environment Services
Metro
morgueFile
Safety and access
35
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Sturdy boots • Gloves, puncture resistant gloves • Ear plugs/earmuffs if operating power equipment• Eye protection when “weed wacking” or mechanical
trimming, handling large branches • Long sleeved shirts and pants • Hard hat if cutting
overhead
Clackamas County Water Environment Services
Safety and access
Other Equipment
• Rakes: to clean out under shrubs where you can’t see
• Grabbers: for trash, sharp objects, or needles • First aid kit
EMSWCDEMSWCD
morgueFile
Safety and access
Public Safety• Vehicle entrances/exits• Where people walk through, create a path
Clean Water Services OSU Extension
Trash
• Remove trash to prevent clogging and contamination
Metro
O&M tasks related to vegetation
• Functions• Moving• Appearances• Pests• Irrigation
vegetation can be part of the solution……
vegetation can be part of the problem.…..…
Planting plans
Oregon Rain Garden Guide
Aesthetics
OSU Sea Grant
Aesthetics
Clean Water Services
Aesthetics vs function
Clean Water Services
Keeping things moving
morgueFile
Keeping things moving
EMSWCD
Inlets
Clean Water Services
Inlets
Clean Water Services
Shade and competition
Clean Water Services
What would you do?
Clean Water Services
Aesthetics
Clean Water Services
Aesthetics
EMSWCD
Do’s and Don’ts for Plants
• Do strive to keep good plant cover in a WQF• Do pay attention to facility design• Do replace dead plants promptly
• Don’t overly trim grasses and grass-like plants• Don’t let plants block water flow
keeping pests at bay
morgueFile
morgueFile
Principles of IPM
• Start with healthy plants• Monitor and identify pests• Be tolerant of some damage• Choose the least toxic control first• Combine techniques
Pests
Clean Water Services
Pests
Clean Water Services
Pests
Clean Water Services
Red clover (Trifolium pratense)
Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea)
Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)
Pests
Clean Water Services