Inspection and Maintenance: Enhanced Swales

Inspection & Maintenance Guidance of enhanced swales, which are a vegetated stormwater best management practices that contains gently sloping open channels featuring a parabolic or trapezoidal cross-section and check dams, designed to both convey and treat stormwater runoff temporarily before entering the storm system (TRCA, 2016)

Overview

Enhanced swales are gently sloping vegetated open channels featuring a parabolic or trapezoidal cross-section and check dams, designed to convey and treat stormwater runoff (i.e., rainwater or snowmelt from roofs or pavements). The grading, Check dams and vegetation spreads out and slows down the flow of water, allowing suspended sediment and floatables (e.g., trash, natural debris, oil and grease) to settle out. A portion of the flowing water soaks into the soil and replenishes groundwater or is taken up by plant roots and evaporated back to the atmosphere. Runoff water is delivered to the practice through inlets such as curb cuts, spillways or other concrete structures, sheet flow from pavement edges, or pipes connected to catchbasins or roof downspouts. The planting bed and side slopes are typically covered with grasses or a mixture of flood tolerant, erosion resistant vegetation and stone. They do not feature filter media soil and sub-drains like bioretention or bioswales do. Water not ponded behind check dams or absorbed by the planting bed is conveyed to an adjacent drainage system (e.g., municipal storm sewer or other BMP) at the lowest downstream point by an outlet structure (e.g., ditch inlet catchbasin, culvert). Key components of this feature are described in further detail below.

Properly functioning enhanced swales reduce the quantity of pollutants and runoff being discharged to municipal storm sewers and receiving waters (i.e., rivers, lakes and wetlands). In addition to their SWM benefits, enhanced swales provide aesthetic value as attractive landscaped features.

Key components of bioretention/bioswales to pay close attention to are the:

• Inlets
• Vegetated Slopes
• Slope & Channel Design
• Overflow outlets

Trash, debris and sediment builds up at these locations and can prevent water from flowing into or out of the practice.

Associated Practices

• Bioretention cell: A flat-bottomed, depressed planting bed containing filter media soil, a gravel water storage layer and optional sub-drain pipe(s); Also known as a rain garden.
• Stormwater planters: A bioretention cell contained within an engineered (e.g., concrete) structure.
• Biofilter: Bioretention cell or swale with an impermeable liner or containment structure and sub-drain.
• Bioswale / Dry swale or Bioretention swale: A gently sloping, linear oriented bioretention practice designed to be capable of conveying water across an elevation gradient. Also known as a bioswale or dry swale.
• Stormwater Tree Trenches: Linear tree planting structures that feature supported impermeable or permeable pavements that promote healthy tree growth while also helping to manage runoff. Consist of subsurface trenches filled with modular structures and growing medium, or structurally engineered soil medium, supporting the overlying sidewalk.

State of the art methods or techniques used to manage the quantity and improve the quality of wet weather flow. BMPs include Source, Conveyance and End-Of-Pipe Controls.

The portion of water precipitated onto a catchment area, which then flows as surface discharge from the catchment area past a specified point.

Water from rain, snow melt, or irrigation that flows over the land surface.

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority

Structures constructed of a non-erosive material, such as suitably sized aggregate, wood, gabions, riprap, or concrete; used to slow runoff water. Can be employed in practices such as bioswales and enhanced grass swales.

Soil, sand and minerals washed from land into water, usually after rain. They pile up in reservoirs, rivers and harbors, destroying fish-nesting areas and holes of water animals and cloud the water so that needed sunlight might not reach aquatic plans. Careless farming, mining and building activities will expose sediment materials, allowing them to be washed off the land after rainfalls.

The portion of water precipitated onto a catchment area, which then flows as surface discharge from the catchment area past a specified point.

Water from rain, snow melt, or irrigation that flows over the land surface.

A system flow of gully inlets, pipes, overland flow paths, open channels, culverts and detention basins used to convey runoff to its receiving waters. City of Toronto 45 Wet Weather Flow Management November 2006

Best management practice. State of the art methods or techniques used to manage the quantity and improve the quality of wet weather flow. BMPs include: source, conveyance and end-of-pipe controls.

A long narrow trench or furrow dug in the ground, as for irrigation, drainage, or a boundary line.

Box like underground concrete structure with openings in curb and gutter designed to collect runoff from streets and pavement.

A shallow constructed channel, often grass-lined, which is used as an alternative to curb and channel, or as a pretreatment to other measures. Swales are generally characterized by a broad top width to depth ratio and gentle grades.

Watercourses and Lake Ontario, to which Stormwater and Combined Sewer Overflows discharge.

Stormwater Management

The engineered soil component of bioretention cell or dry swale designs, typically with a high rate of infiltration and designed to retain contaminants through filtration and adsorption to particles.

A lot level bioretention cell designed to receive and detain, infiltrate and filter runoff, typically used for discharge from downspouts.

A shallow excavated surface depression containing prepared filter media, mulch, and planted with selected vegetation.

A shallow excavated surface depression containing prepared filter media, mulch, and planted with selected vegetation.

A shallow constructed channel, often grass-lined, which is used as an alternative to curb and channel, or as a pretreatment to other measures. Swales are generally characterized by a broad top width to depth ratio and gentle grades.

Linear bioretention cell designed to convey, treat and attenuate stormwater runoff. The engineered filter media soil mixture and vegetation slows the runoff water to allow sedimentation, filtration through the root zone, evapotranspiration, and infiltration into the underlying native soil.

Linear bioretention cell designed to convey, treat and attenuate stormwater runoff. The engineered filter media soil mixture and vegetation slows the runoff water to allow sedimentation, filtration through the root zone, evapotranspiration, and infiltration into the underlying native soil.

State of the art methods or techniques used to manage the quantity and improve the quality of wet weather flow. BMPs include Source, Conveyance and End-Of-Pipe Controls.

A shallow constructed channel, often grass-lined, which is used as an alternative to curb and channel, or as a pretreatment to other measures. Swales are generally characterized by a broad top width to depth ratio and gentle grades.