Maintenance of Rain Gardens, Swales, and
Stormwater Planters
Photo: EMSWCD
OLCA Expo
December 1, 2011
Partners
Candace Stoughton
Gail Shaloum
Rob Emanuel
Damon Richardson
Henry Stevens
Maria Cahill
EMSWCD
Clackamas WES
Clean Water Services
Pacific Sports Turf
Portland BES
Green Girl Land Development
Agenda
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What is stormwater? Why manage it?
Legal issues
Role for landscape contractors
Types of facilities
Maintenance activities
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Vegetation
Pests
Irrigation
Soils/Mulch
Structures
Erosion Control
Spills
• Take home messages
What is Stormwater?
Photo: morgueFile
Rainfall and snowmelt that runs off instead of seeping
into the ground.
Sources of stormwater?
Roofs
Driveways
EMSWCD
EMSWCD
Streets
Green Girl Land Development
Parking Lots
morgueFile
Rainfall and snowmelt that runs off instead of seeping
into the ground.
Water cycle
Stormwater
East Portland News
Can cause unnatural flooding
Stormwater
Photo: morgueFile
Photo: East Portland News
Can degrade streams
Johnson Creek Watershed Council
Stormwater
morgueFile
Carries pollutants to waterways
Rain garden-municipal
Photo: EMSWCD
EMSWCD
Planted landscape facility designed to collect and absorb
runoff and filter out pollutants.
Swales (aka bioswales)
Long, planted, open channel that carries, slows
stormwater and filters out pollutants.
EMSWCD
Rain garden-residential
EMSWCD
Planted landscape facility designed to collect and absorb
runoff and filter out pollutants.
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:
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hydrologic and water
quality function
• landscape functions
• impacts on human health
and safety
EMSWCD
Business opportunity
Specialized training to design, inspect and maintain
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Landscape
Architects
P
Civil Engineers
Landscape Designers
Landscape Contractors
Green industry professionals
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…
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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
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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
Metro
Clackamas County Water Environment Services
m
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Safety and access
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
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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
35
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
EMSWCD
EMSWCD
morgueFile
Safety and access
Public Safety
• Vehicle entrances/exits
• Where people walk through, create a path
Clean Water Services
OSU Extension
Trash
Metro
• Remove trash to prevent clogging and contamination
O&M tasks related to vegetation
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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
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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
Pests
Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense)
Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea)
Clean Water Services
Red clover (Trifolium pratense)
Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)