(A) Stormwater wetlands.
(1) Stormwater wetlands (also known as constructed wetlands) are structural practices similar to wet ponds that incorporate wetland plants into the design. Stormwater wetlands are designed specifically for the purpose of treating stormwater runoff.
(2) A distinction should be made between using a constructed wetland for stormwater management and diverting stormwater into a natural wetland.
(3) The latter practice is not recommended because altering the hydrology of the existing wetland with additional stormwater can degrade the resource and result in plant die off and the destruction of wildlife habitat.
(B) Grassed swales. The term SWALE (also known as GRASSED CHANNEL, DRY SWALE, WET SWALE, or BIO-FILTER) refers to a series of vegetated, open channel management practices designed specifically to treat and attenuate stormwater runoff for a specified water quality volume. As stormwater runoff flows through these channels, it is treated through filtering by the vegetation in the channel, filtering through a subsoil matrix, and/or infiltration into the underlying soils.
(C) Vegetated filter strips. Vegetated surfaces that are designed to treat sheet flow from adjacent surfaces. Filter strips function by slowing runoff velocities and filtering out sediment and other pollutants.
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