Slide 30 of 119
Notes:
Stormwater wetlands are structural practices similar to stormwater ponds that incorporate wetland plants into the design. As stormwater runoff flows through the wetland, pollutant removal is achieved through settling and biological uptake within the practice. Wetlands are among the most effective stormwater practices in terms of pollutant removal, and also offer aesthetic value. While natural wetlands can sometimes be used to treat stormwater runoff that has been properly pretreated, stormwater wetlands are fundamentally different from natural wetland systems. Stormwater wetlands are designed specifically for the purpose of treating stormwater runoff, and typically have less biodiversity than natural wetlands both in terms of plant and animal life. There are several design variations of the stormwater wetland, each design differing in the relative amounts of shallow and deep water, and dry storage above the wetland.
Wetlands are widely applicable stormwater management practices. Like stormwater ponds, they have limited applicability in highly urbanized settings, and in arid climates, but have few other restrictions. Most wetland designs can provide water quality, channel protection, overbank flood, and extreme flood control. However, due to the tendency of wetlands to intercept water tables, they do not typically meet recharge requirements.