May is American Wetlands Month and what better way to celebrate than with a whole webinar on wetlands! Although many think of wetlands as secluded places out in nature, they can actually be found in some of Iowa’s largest cities. In this week’s webinar, Urban Wetlands 101, John Swanson with Polk County Public Works dives into the important role wetlands can play in urban landscapes.
With increased urbanization comes changes in the way water flows across the land. This water can no longer absorb into the ground and is now sent directly to water bodies via underground storm drains. This altered movement of water not only aids in the transport of pollutants, but also allows water to move faster which can result in unstable stream banks. Swanson notes that one solution to the problem is working with individual homeowners to implement practices like rain gardens, permeable pavers, and rain barrels. Another solution to this problem is creating urban wetlands.
Two types of wetlands can be found in urban settings – stormwater wetlands and urban oxbows. These wetlands can have many goals, but as Swanson notes, the major goal is to slow the water to prevent issues downstream. While there are many parts to a successful urban wetland, Swanson breaks it down into 10 lessons learned from their efforts. To learn more about these 10 lessons, watch this week’s full webinar. Also, tune in next week to hear from Wendong Zhang on Decoding Iowa Farmers’ Understanding of Edge-of-Field Practices and check out the archives to watch past webinars.
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