Floating Wetlands An emerging green technology for restoring Seattle’s waterfront wetlands
Who we are Nancy Rottle - Director, University of Washington Green Futures Research and Design Lab Mason Bowles - Senior Ecologist, Ecological Restoration and Engineering Services Section, King County Water and Land Resources Division Matt MacDonald - Student, UW Masters of Landscape Architecture Program; Staff Member, UW Green Futures Lab
Floating Wetlands presentation outline •
What are floating wetlands?
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Why do they matter?
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How do they work?
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Where are they already?
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How is UW involved?
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Where could they be in Seattle?
What are floating wetlands? Constructed ecosystems that mimic naturally occurring wetlands In some cases, they are naturally occurring wetlands, e.g. bogs
naturalhighsafaris.com biomatrixwater.com
What are floating wetlands? Constructed ecosystems that mimic naturally occurring wetlands
Floating Island International
British Library
Hicklin Lake, West Sea0le
Photo: Matt MacDonald
Native wetland plants
Growing media
Floating frame or foam mat
Andrea Haynes
• Can be configured to existing aquatic urban environments
• Sequester carbon • Improve water quality • Create habitat
• Tolerate fluctuating water levels
Andrea Haynes
Why do floating wetlands matter? •
Because they improve water quality and provide habitat
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Can be configured to exis:ng aqua:c urban environments
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Scalable and cost effective
Khalil Bendib
naturalhighsafaris.com
UW Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory
Elevated water temperatures •
Increase duration of thermal stratification in Lakes Washington and Sammamish.
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Upper surface water warms sooner in the spring and stays warmer longer into the fall.
Elevated water temperatures • Exert a major influence on biological activity and growth affecting phytoplankton biomass, nutrients and dissolved oxygen. • Influences water chemistry, increasing rate of chemical reactions.
Coho pre-spawn mortality
Longfellow Creek 2003
Des Moines Creek 2004
Longfellow Creek 2005
Piper’s Creek 2006
AP / KOMO News
images.51cto.com
What are the benefits of floating wetlands? • Water quality improvement • Habitat restoration • Shoreline protection • Beautification • Climate adaptation and mitigation
Water Quality Improvement
Floating Island International
Biofiltration: Water Quality Improvement Floating wetlands: • Reduce total suspended solids (turbidity) • Reduce total phosphorous • Reduce ammonia • Reduce total nitrogen • Reduce bio-chemical oxygen demand (BOD) • Remove heavy metals Referencestinyurl.com/FloatingWetlandsSeattle
Plant and Insect Habitat
pichost.me/1620939/ Â
Fish Habitat
Floating Island International
Wildlife Habitat
Floating Island International
Shoreline Protection
Floating Island International
Climate Adaptation and Mitigation
Floating Island International
Beautification
Turenscape
How do floating wetlands work?
The Sequestration Pathways - Upward Carbon is sequestered in terrestrial plant growth on top of the islands
The Sequestration Pathways - Downward Carbon is sequestered in roots and organic debris accumulating below the islands
The Sequestration Pathways - Inward Carbon is sequestered in roots and microbes growing within the islands
Floa:ng Wetlands Improve ecosystem func:on and habitat via food web transforma:ons move nutrients away from phytoplankton and toward fish create aqua:c invertebrate habitat
har:es.org.za
tinyurl.com/FloatingWetlandsSeattle
Where are floating wetlands already in use?
Worldwide Distribution
Yingri Lake, Jinan, China
Floating Island International
Queensland, Australia
SPEL Environmental
Louisiana Gulf Coast
Floating Island International
Baltimore Harbor
The Waterfront Partnership, photo by Adam Lindquist
Baltimore Harbor Proposal
San Francisco
Andrea Haynes
Opportunities Study
Andrea Haynes
Hicklin Lake, West Seattle
Photo: Matt MacDonald
How is the University of Washington involved with floating wetlands?
Green Futures Lab
MacDonald Floating Wetlands Thesis, Redmond, WA (in progress)
Thesis Goals sampler
• Design floating wetlands to mimic a greater array of wetland conditions and habitats • Test Pacific Northwest plants • Design FWs for lasting nutrient and carbon storage
Redmond, WA
First Prototype
Matt MacDonald
Shoreline Edge
Matt MacDonald
Emergent Vegetation
Matt MacDonald
Fully Submerged
Matt MacDonald
Fully Submerged
Matt MacDonald
Fully Submerged
Matt MacDonald
Overhanging Canopy
Matt MacDonald
Overhanging Canopy
Matt MacDonald
Overhanging Canopy
Matt MacDonald
PNW Plant Species
~30 species used to date
Matt MacDonald
Lasting Nutrient Storage
harties.za.org
Matt MacDonald
Lasting Nutrient Storage
Matt MacDonald
“Oh, Hello!”
Matt MacDonald
Where could floating wetlands be placed in Seattle? • 147 miles of fresh water shoreline • 53 miles of salt water shoreline • 200 miles of shoreline in total • 58 sq. miles of open water
a few ideas...
Matt MacDonald
Urban Shorelines
Past
Present
Future Matt MacDonald
Fremont Cut Proposal
Matt MacDonald
depts.washington.edu/wet/ Â
ToO et al. 2010
Why do floating wetlands matter? •
Provide wetland functions, structures and processes
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Can be configured to exis:ng aqua:c urban environments
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Scalable and cost effective
“The best way to predict your future is to create it.” -Abraham Lincoln
How can we help you integrate floating wetlands into Seattle? How can you help us?
Questions? Nancy Rottle Assoc. Professor, Director of Green Futures Lab nrottle@uw.edu Mason Bowles Professional Wetland Scientist masonbbowles@gmail.com Matt MacDonald floating wetlands enthusiast macdon.matt@gmail.com tinyurl.com/FloatingWetlandsSeattle (lots of links and other goodies!)
What do floating wetlands cost?* • Foam matrix - $40+ / sq. ft. • Redmond Prototypes- $1-14 / sq. ft. *not including costs of design, permitting, maintenance, and monitoring
Matt MacDonald
Matt MacDonald
Matt MacDonald
Matt MacDonald
Matt MacDonald
Overhanging Canopy
Matt MacDonald