Webinar: Bioretention Soil Media, Vegetation, and Maintenance: Lessons learned from Green Stormwater Infrastructure research in Vermont
Stephanie Hurley, of the University of Vermont and Lake Champlain Sea Grant-funded researcher, will present on "Bioretention Soil Media, Vegetation, and Maintenance: Lessons learned from Green Stormwater Infrastructure research in Vermont" as part of a University of Minnesota stormwater series.
Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) aims to manage runoff from impervious surfaces using natural processes to reduce hydrologic and water quality impacts on receiving waters. Bioretention is a type of GSI that utilizes soil media and vegetation to store and filter stormwater. While bioretention systems can effectively slow and store runoff and capture sediments, performance in capturing and filtering nutrient pollutants is variable. In addition, lack of maintenance, and poor vegetation selection can cause bioretention systems to under-perform in terms of both ecological function and aesthetic goals. This presentation will review recent and ongoing research based on multiple bioretention studies conducted at the University of Vermont, across urban, suburban, and agricultural land uses. Topics will include: vegetation selection for cold climate conditions, Vermont resident and municipal officials’ perceptions of maintenance needs and aesthetics of bioretention systems, concerns about the use of compost in bioretention soil media, and the potential to capture phosphorus by using aluminum- and iron-based Drinking Water Treatment Residuals (DWTR) as a soil amendment.