SERENE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT

2023 WLCA Award-Winning Project

Our client’s once lush, heavily forested front yard was devastated by the Emerald Ash Borer invasion, leading to a significant loss of natural privacy and vegetation. The cleared area revealed severe drainage issues, leaving the space saturated and unusable. The client’s constantly running sump pump exacerbated the problem by discharging into this area. The client aimed to remove remaining invasive buckthorn, address the drainage problems, create an inviting walking space, and reforest the area with native trees.

To solve these issues, our team raised the grade by up to two feet in certain areas and strategically pitched it towards new stormwater features that would absorb water and redirect excess to an outflow pond at the property’s front. The plan included creating a cascading water feature using flagstone steppers for the sump pump’s greywater, which would flow into a bioswale filled with custom-blended soil. When saturated, the bioswale would overflow into a dry river bed leading to the outflow pond. The river bed, requiring precise grading, was created in challenging root-filled soil.  Where the grade allowed, additional flagstones were used to create opportunities for waterfall effects. The bioswale was adorned with character boulders and planted with over one hundred wetland perennials, while various native trees were planted to begin the reforestation process.

The end result is a serene addition to the property that handles excess stormwater in an eco-friendly way.