• HYDROMULCHING AND HYDROSEEDING • TERRASEEDING™ • BONDED FIBER MULCH
• MULCH MATTING • WATTLES • COMPOST AND BARK BLOWING • BIO-SWALES
• NATIVE GRASSES • DUST CONTROL • IRRIGATION
Bio Swales
Unvegetated swales can be a troublesome point-source for pollution, requiring aggressive erosion and sediment control. The broad, shallow channels can collect soil and water run-off from upland areas and contribute sediment to downstream watercourses. In the past, swales could only be effectively “hard armored” using rock and concrete.
Through the development of bio-swales, WildLands effectively addresses the problem in a more aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly manner. We create a bio-swale through installation of a sophisticated, turf-reinforcement matting (TRM) that incorporates seed, a bonded fiber matrix (BFM), and fertilizer. This system binds seeded vegetation to the soil in a way that increases water velocity and sheer stress limits of the vegetation to effectively armor even steeply sloping swales. The bio-swale traps particulate pollutants, promotes infiltration, and reduces the flow and velocity of storm water runoff, thus preventing erosion. Furthermore, by accelerating growth, establishment and root entanglement of seeded vegetation, a bio-swale provides twice the erosion resistance of natural vegetation. For a golf course development in Washington state, Wildlands, Inc. recently installed two bio-swales on a 1:1.5 slope that was 600 feet long.