Bioretention

Some Things NOT to do in Bioretention Installation

The biggest concern with bioretention is that it will for some reason clog or the infiltration rate will fall to very low.  A few thing can be done to help prevent this problem. 

Most important, the surrounding areas must be stabilized BEFORE the bioretention cells are completed.  If not, rains will carry a large amount of sediment into the bioretention cell, clogging it, and rendering it useless, as shown here.  

Care should be taken with utility installation.  Installing them in an existing facility can create areas of low infiltration.  Also, during installation, excess material can be left onsite that can cause infiltration problems.  

Foot traffic can pack the soil and create areas of low infiltration.  These problems can be addressed through blocking access, education, or putting stone in high-traffic areas.  

In this case, the overflow drain is at the same level as the surface of the bioretention.  The runoff will not have a chance to infiltrate, but will go straight to the drain.  

Bioretention Installations