Floating Wetlands for the Duwamish River Nancy Rottle, Associate Professor Director, Green Futures Research and Design Lab University of Washington
Mason Bowles, Senior Ecologist King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks Green Duwamish Watershed Symposium, February 29, 2016
What is a floating wetland?
A floating organic mat supporting wetland plants.
Natural Floating Wetlands
Floating marshy peat mat, New Hampshire
Natural Floating Wetlands
Esteros del ibera, Argentina
Natural Floating Wetlands
Evans Creek Natural Area, Redmond
What is a floating wetland?
A constructed wetland that mimics natural floating wetlands.
Tether
Native wetland plants
Floating island matrix providing buoyancy and growing medium
Anchor
Floating wetlands
emergent
submergent
scrub-shrub
Emergent floating wetland
Redmond WA
Submergent floating wetland
Redmond, WA
Scrub Shrub
Redmond, WA
What do floating wetlands do?
Mimic natural wetlands to improve ecosystems.
Plants provide insect and bird habitat
Microbes remove phosphorous, nitrogen, ammonia, copper, zinc from water
Plant litter and insects feed fish
Roots capture suspended sediments and dissolved nutrients
Provide terrestrial habitat
Beautify shorelines
Provide fish habitat
Improve water quality
Greenway corridors
Baltimore Harbor
Greenway corridors
National aquarium, Baltimore
Stormwater treatment
New Zealand
Stormwater treatment
White Center, WA
Reduce water temperatures
Brightwater treatment plant, Woodinville
Shoreline habitat creation
Year 1
Year 3
River Brent, Scotland
Terrestrial habitat
Aquatic habitat
Salmon habitat
Beautify urban shorelines
Shanghai Houtan Park, China
What would floating wetlands do in the Duwamish?
Restore a wetland edge along the banks of the Duwamish
Create connections between habitats Improve water quality Increase salmon habitat Green the Duwamish
2,750 acres wetland
8.25 acres wetland
Floating wetland study proposal
US Army Corps of Engineers
Army Corps of Engineers
Army Corps of Engineers
SHOW BULKHEAD W/OUT FW
SHOW BULKHEAD W/OUT FW
Terminal 105
South Park Bridge
Army Corps of Engineers
Army Corps of Engineers
T-105
Urban Shorelines
Past
Present
Future
Questions?
Nancy Rottle, Associate Professor Director, Green Futures Research and Design Lab University of Washington nrottle@u.washington.edu
Mason Bowles, Senior Ecologist King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks Mason.bowles@kingcounty.gov