If you have a drainage swale across your property, need to move water to or from a rain garden, are concerned about water quality, local flooding issues, wildlife, and providing habitat for pollinators – constructing a bioswale is for you! Bioswales are channels that provide surface drainage while also filtering and encouraging infiltration of water. The channels are planted with water-loving native species that can also tolerate fluctuations in moisture levels.
As water moves through the bioswale, it is slowed by the plants, allowing for filtration and soil absorption. The benefits include decreased volume of water leaving the site and entering storm drain systems which, when replicated throughout the watershed, can have a measurable decrease in downstream flooding. Bioswales also contribute to marked decreases in suspended solids, nitrogen, and phosphorus, and to substantial reductions in pollutant loads.
The native plants provide variety and beauty to the landscape while increasing habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects and wildlife. Because of their deep root systems, they provide erosion control and improved infiltration rates through the soil. Find out more about bioswales on our website: https://marionswcd.org/drainage/
Lower Fall Creek Watershed Rain Garden Cost Share Grant includes Bioswales!
If you live in the Lower Fall Creek watershed, our home rain garden cost share grants can provide you with up to $2,000 available per project. These grants can also be used for bioswales. Find out more about the grant program by scrolling down to the grant information found here.
