What is bioretention and how does it work?

What is bioretention and how does it work?

Bioretention areas (also referred to as bioretention cells or rain gardens) use soil, plants and microbes to treat stormwater before it is infiltrated or discharged. Bioretention areas are shallow depressions filled with sandy soil, topped with a thick layer of mulch, and planted with dense vegetation.

What is the purpose of bio retention facility?

Bioretention systems are used to remove a wide range of pollutants, such as suspended solids, nutrients, metals, hydrocarbons, and bacteria from stormwater runoff. They can also be used to reduce peak runoff rates and increase stormwater infiltration when designed as a multi-stage, multi-function facility.

What is bioretention cell?

Bioretention cells, sometimes referred to as bio cells, are shallow stormwater basins that utilize engineered soils and vegetation to capture and treat runoff. The soil media is generated by a mixture of sand, compost, and existing soil.

What are Bioretention plants?

A shallow depression planted with deep-rooted, native plants selected to tolerate both drought and inundation conditions and designed to treat and filter stormwater pollutants.

What can you plant in Bioretention?

Bioretention Plant List

  • WITCHAZEL Hamamelis virginiana.
  • SWAMP WHITE OAK Quercus bicolor.
  • BALD CYPRESS Taxodium distichum.
  • BLACK TUPELO Nyssa sylvatica.

How do you make Bioretention soil?

Bioretention Soil shall consist of a homogeneous mixture of approximately 2 parts by volume (approximately 65 percent) mineral aggregate to 1 part (approximately 35 percent) fine compost meeting the requirements below.

What are bioretention plants?

What are bioretention cells?

Which is the best definition of a bioretention basin?

Bioretention Basins/Rain Gardens. Definition: A bioretention area or rain garden is a shallow planted depression designed to retain or detain stormwater before it is infiltrated or discharged downstream.

How is bioretention used in a parking lot?

These features are often used in residential areas, and can even look decorative. For example, a bioretention designed parking lot island might be a stormwater basin—where water is collected, utilized, and then subsequently siphoned by a nearby storm drain.

What should be included in bioretention soil mix?

Ideally, bioretention soil will both drain well, and facilitate vegetation and even tree growth. This means finding the right mix of draining properties, such as sand, while still creating a nutritionally viable blend. Right now, conventional wisdom indicates that a proper mix should include 5% clay make up, and 12% fines.