Generally grassed swales are used to treat relatively small drainage areas of five acres or less. In highly urbanized areas or other highly impervious areas grass swales are not recommended unless constructed in series or function as pretreatment for other stormwater management practices.

Are swales necessary?

Swales, like any catchment, are a means of stopping water runoff, especially from roads and hard surfaces, and putting it to use rather than having it drain away. Using swales for these reasons can prevent both floods and droughts, which make them a pretty powerful tool.

What is the purpose of a swale?

For many years they have been used along rural highways and residential streets to convey runoff. Today, swales not only convey stormwater but also help to treat runoff to reduce pollutants. Like ditches, swales collect stormwater from roads, driveways, parking lots and other hard surfaces.

Where do you put a swale?

Step 2: Identify the ideal site for a permaculture swale.

It should be: 10 feet away from a building (water must drain away from building) 18 feet away from the edge of a steep slope or septic drain field. Uphill from a garden or low spot that doesn't drain well.

Who is responsible for the swale?

As the property owner, you are responsible for all maintenance of your swale. An unmaintained swale may: Stop filtering the rainwater and allow trash and pollutants to enter into our local streams.

How to Build Swales. What is a swale?

16 related questions found

What is considered a swale?

A swale is a shady spot, or a sunken or marshy place. ... Such a swale may be either natural or human-made. Artificial swales are often infiltration basins, designed to manage water runoff, filter pollutants, and increase rainwater infiltration – green instances are the subterm bioswales.

How do you maintain a swale?

1. SUGGESTED MAINTENANCE ACTIONS.
2. MONTHLY.
3. • Inspect your swale during and after storms to make sure that rainwa- ter has drained and there is no erosion. • ...
4. SEASONALLY.
5. • Mow grass no shorter than 3 to 6 inches. Remove and compost all grass clippings. ...
6. AS NEEDED.
7. • Reseed bare areas to avoid erosion. ...
8. DO NOT:

How deep is a swale?

There are no hard rules about the size of a swale, but the bigger it is the more water it can absorb during a rainstorm. Six- to 12-inches deep and 3- to 4-feet wide are typical dimensions. Smooth out the shape of the berm with a hard metal rake to form a planting bed.

How do you fix a swale in your yard?

1. Step 1: Evaluate the Slope. Construction of a swale begins with analyzing the slope of the yard and water runoff patterns to plan the route for the swale ditch. ...
2. Step 2: Lay Out the Swale. ...
3. Step 3: Excavate the Swale Ditch. ...
4. Step 4: Lay Gravel and Drain Tile. ...
5. Step 5: Finish the Swale.

How much does it cost to install a swale?

Swales are simple to construct and normally cost around $0.50 per foot to install.

Can I plant trees in a swale?

SWALES are water harvesting ditches on contour. They are extremely useful and an important design element for permaculture designers. ... Trees are always planted directly downhill of each swale, so that when it rains and the swales fill up, the rain sinks slowly into the soil directly into the roots of our trees.

How do swales work?

Swales follow the contours around the base of a natural or created slope, redirecting storm water and filtering runoff as it sinks into the soil, instead of keeping it in one place, like a rain garden. Plants suck up the water along a swale's gently sloping banks and sometimes down the center of the channel.

Why is swale called swale?

Parts of it are a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I, National Nature Reserves, a Kent Wildlife Trust nature reserve and a Local Nature Reserve. The name "Swale" is Old English in origin, and is believed to mean "swirling, rushing river", or "rushing water". The Swale was originally part of a river.

What is the difference between a ditch and a swale?

To put it simply, a ditch is made to carry water away and a swale is made to collect and slowly release water into the landscape.

What is a backyard swale?

Swales are designed to convey excess rainwater into their ditch-like interior where it is held and gradually filtered through plants and soil back into the area. ... Swales are different from rain gardens in that they filter water slowly while preventing flooding and other water excess issues.

What is a swale easement?

Swale- A swale is a low tract of land, especially one that is moist or marshy. The term can refer to a natural landscape feature or a human created one. Artificial swales are often designed to manage water runoff, filter pollutants, and increase rainwater infiltration.

What do swales look like?

For the sake of swale newbies, the basic concept of a swale on contour is to catch water as it drains and hold it in place until it absorbs into the ground. It looks a bit like a massive ditch with closed ends, trapping all of the water as opposed to having it flow anywhere.

Can you fill a swale?

Can I Fill in a Swale to Make It Level with My Lawn or Other Landscaping? The short answer for this one is no. Some homeowners consider swales unsightly and would rather have a nice, level lawn or a smooth surface along their driveway.

How do you dig swales?

Use a shovel and cut a trench along where the center of the swale will be. Dig the trench, sloping the bottom down at least 1 inch for every 10 feet of length. If sod will be placed in the swale, lower the entire trench 2 to 3 inches. Next, mark the edges of the swale.

What is a swale drainage?

A grass drainage swale is an open channel that collects water from hard surfaces and allows it to percolate into the ground, reducing the amount of runoff leaving the road or property. The grass covering the side slopes and swale bottom provides a filtration surface for the water and helps to reduce the flow velocity.

Is the Swale a river?

The River Swale in Yorkshire, England, is a major tributary of the River Ure, which becomes the River Ouse, that empties into the North Sea via the Humber Estuary. The river gives its name to Swaledale, the valley through which it flows.

What council is Faversham in?

Swale Borough Council home page.

Which part of UK is Kent?

Kent is in the southeastern corner of England. It borders the Thames Estuary and the North Sea to the north, and the Straits of Dover and the English Channel to the south.