That’s swale construction

Swales and bio-swales are an intricate part of our Pacific Northwest landscapes. View a video of our recent swale construction.

Swales are low-lying areas of a landscape, specially designed to capture water run-off. They function very much like a rain garden, but are usually smaller and shallower. They are typically long and often curve through the landscape as they help water flow slowly through the yard, filtering out phosphates and other contaminates that have been washed off the roof or other hard surfaces. Some are lined with rock, or a combination of rocks, while others may be just grass. Sometimes Environmental Construction will construct a swale around a mounded area of the landscape (such as in the video below.)

Why is having one in your landscape such a “swale” idea? Because with the amount of rain we receive, and hilly terrain, water runoff is a big concern. A bio-swale is an especially attractive option for your yard as they generally contain native plants…and we have a lot of beautiful native plants to choose from in the Pacific Northwest.

So you know you want us to construct a swale or bio-swale in your landscape, but you don’t know where to put it? It’s best to never fight with mother nature. If the water runoff insists on flowing in a certain path, then that’s probably where the swale should be constructed. Let us help you decide where to construct a swale in your landscape. Environmental construction is one of our main concerns and we can help you ensure your swale or bio-swale looks beautiful and is installed to function effectively.

View our video of a swale built for a Seattle-area homeowner.

Category: Landscape Design