8/3/2019 Illinois; Rain Garden and Bio-Swales

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Copyright © 2009 Upland Design LTD  1

Greening Parks with

Rain Garden andBio-Swales

By Michelle Kelly, RLA, CPSI

IS THERE A WAY TO MAKE YOUR PARKS MORE

“GREEN”? Parks have been going “green” for as

long as there have been parks. Addressing a

communities’ open space needs while creating

large areas of non-paved surface and even habitat 

for animals and plants is an asset to parks and

people. But can Parks and Recreation agencies

expand the contribution to the community and

earth with the way we design and manage parks?

This article explores the way rain gardens and

bio-swales can be used to improve a park’s

environmental foot print.

WHAT   ARE BIO-SWALES AND RAIN

GARDENS? 

First, let’s identify the difference between rain

gardens and bio-swales. Both of these provide

locations for native and non-native plant species to

improve the aesthetic of a park, clean storm water

run-off, and encourage silt to stay on site, rather

than entering the storm water system or pollute

local creeks and rivers. But with all that, they each

have a different role in greening our parks.

Definition: Bio-swales are landscape elementsdesigned to remove silt and pollution from surface

runoff water while directing the water. They

consist of a shallow, linear drainage course with

gently sloped sides. Bio-swales are typically

planted with native grass and forbs, but can also

use stone as part of the drainage way. The bio-

swale purpose is to filtrate, slow-down, cool and

cleanse run-off water.

BENEFIT: Bio-swales cleanse and slow run-off 

water directing the water to another location.

Definition:  Rain gardens collect run-off water

with a flat, low area that is vegetated with specific

plants chosen for their ability to tolerate excess

water and for their ability to use the water and in

some cases remove contaminants. Rain gardens

minimize the negative impacts of excessive run-off 

from nearby impervious surfaces on local water

bodies and storm water systems by encouraging

infiltration.

BENEFIT: Rain Gardens cleanse and encourage

infiltration of run-off relieving stormwater

systems or nearby water ways.

The bottom line is that rain gardens are flat to

provide large areas of infiltration whereas bio-

swales are sloped to slow and move water from one

point to another.

WHERE TO USE BIO-SWALES ANDRAIN GARDENS: 

Parking Lot Drainage -A widely used location of 

both bio-swales and rain gardens is adjacent to

paved parking lots. As water sheets off a parking

lot, or is captured in catch basins and directed

through pipes, a perfect location for that water isdirectly into bio-swales and into rain gardens.

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Tennis Courts and Basketball Co

large pavement requirements for band tennis courts, this is a perfect lo

swale. The areas adjacent to tennis

courts direct the water to drain off 

to improve long term pavement 

swale adjacent to courts can be u

water down, encourage infiltrati

improve plant diversity and habitat 

important to note that in no way s

allowed to back up as it comes off t 

could create long term maintenance

pavement. Water moving off the co

Detention Ponds – The curreordinances in the Chicago met 

require the use of detention or rete

new and many redeveloped par

becomes an opportunity to creat 

direct water to these ponds in place

and piping. Many sites can be enha

these natural water movement sy

possible, create rain gardens to enh

stormwater system prior to ent 

areas or create detention areas t 

gardens. 

HOW -EXAMPLE PROJ

Sandholm Woods: At   SandholmDesign assisted the Geneva Park Dis

Upland Design LTD. staff of landscparks and public open spaces to coincorporating green practices into alquality of life. Through our work, wfind value in open spaces and naturwww.uplanddesign.com 

Copyright © 2009 Upland

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