Bioswales

Bioswales provide a variety of eco-system benefits such as:

• Removing silt, heavy metals and other pollutants from stormwater. This is especially beneficial in urban settings, where the concentration of pollutants is high, particularly in the proximity of roads.
• Providing water absorption and infiltration that improves recharge and helps avoid polluted water from entering groundwater.
• Resulting in a higher biodiversity value than alternative solutions such as gutters. Native vegetation provides a diversity of flora that serves as a habitat for fauna.
• Promoting evaporation and does not absorb as much heat as paved surfaces which reduces the urban heat island effect
• Promoting environmental stewardship by adding aesthetic and recreational value - improving the quality of life for the community.

The City of Miami Beach is investigating the use of stormwater infrastructure best management practices to address water quality issues for Biscayne Bay, which is designated an Outstanding Florida Water by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. As new infrastructure is being contemplated by the City for the La Gorce neighborhood to address climate resiliency, integrating stormwater best management practices such as bioswales is one of the strategies that can be deployed to address both water quality (treatment) and quantity (attenuation) concerns. As an initial investigation into bioswales, the City is seeking to implement demonstration projects as means to test the efficacy and value of this technology to provide water quality improvements and attenuation of the runoff from developed areas of the City.

Planting Palette:

Levenworths Tickseed (Coreopsis leavenworthii)

Beach Golden Creeper (Ernodea littoralis)

Wind Dancer Lovegrass (Eragrostis elliottoi)

Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)

Dwarf Fakahatchee Grass (Tripsacum floridanum)

Coontie (Zamia pumila)