Lot 7 Bioretention Planter
Parking Lot 7 contains 5 bioretention planters. Watch out for traffic in the lot if you decide to take a closer look.
Bioretention Planters
In bioretention planters, stormwater is treated as it passes through a layer of compost-amended soil (see diagram below). In small storms, the filtered water collects in the gravel layer at the bottom and infiltrates into the soil. In larger storms, the gravel layer fills up and filtered water is carried away by a buried perforated pipe (underdrain) to the concrete drain inlet (the box with a metal grate). In a very large storm, the planter fills up and overflows into the top of the concrete drain inlet.
These planters were constructed around the existing drainage systems. Only storm drain inlets located within parking stalls could be used. Use of storm drains within drive aisles would have required re-striping the whole lot. The planters were sized to minimize the loss of parking stalls but still treat a large amount of runoff.
Want more details? https://www.owp.csus.edu/csus-lid/
Preserving Existing Infrastructure
In a retrofit project, every effort is made to use as much of the existing infrastructure as possible, thereby minimizing costs. In the parking lots, the existing drain inlets and pipes were preserved in place and the LID BMPs were constructed around them (see photo below). Some potential LID BMP sites were not used because moving existing underground utilities would have been too costly.
Underground Surprises
Sometimes so-called “as-built” drawings that show existing conditions aren't accurate, and this leads to unwanted surprises for construction crews. On one site, the project contractors found buried utilities that were supposed to be more than 20 feet away. On another, they hit an unknown irrigation line that flooded the construction excavation.
These are the plants at this BMP Site:
Featured plant
Sawleaf Zelkova (Zelkova Serrata)
Zelkova Serrata: Image by: Liné1 (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported)
Berkeley Sedge (Carex Divulsa)
Blue Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium Bellum)
Deer Grass (Muhlenbergia Rigens)
Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x Acutiflora 'Karl Floerster')
Lomandra (Lomandra Longfolia 'Breeze')
Maritime Ceanothus (Ceanothus Maritimus 'Valley Violet')
Spreading Rush (Juncus Patens 'Elk Blue')
Want more details? https://www.owp.csus.edu/csus-lid/
Bioretention Planters
In bioretention planters, stormwater is treated as it passes through a layer of compost-amended soil (see diagram below). In small storms, the filtered water collects in the gravel layer at the bottom and infiltrates into the soil. In larger storms, the gravel layer fills up and filtered water is carried away by a buried perforated pipe (underdrain) to the concrete drain inlet (the box with a metal grate). In a very large storm, the planter fills up and overflows into the top of the concrete drain inlet.
These planters were constructed around the existing drainage systems. Only storm drain inlets located within parking stalls could be used. Use of storm drains within drive aisles would have required re-striping the whole lot. The planters were sized to minimize the loss of parking stalls but still treat a large amount of runoff.
Want more details? https://www.owp.csus.edu/csus-lid/
Preserving Existing Infrastructure
In a retrofit project, every effort is made to use as much of the existing infrastructure as possible, thereby minimizing costs. In the parking lots, the existing drain inlets and pipes were preserved in place and the LID BMPs were constructed around them (see photo below). Some potential LID BMP sites were not used because moving existing underground utilities would have been too costly.
Underground Surprises
Sometimes so-called “as-built” drawings that show existing conditions aren't accurate, and this leads to unwanted surprises for construction crews. On one site, the project contractors found buried utilities that were supposed to be more than 20 feet away. On another, they hit an unknown irrigation line that flooded the construction excavation.
These are the plants at this BMP Site:
Featured plant
Sawleaf Zelkova (Zelkova Serrata)
Zelkova Serrata: Image by: Liné1 (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported)
Berkeley Sedge (Carex Divulsa)
Blue Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium Bellum)
Deer Grass (Muhlenbergia Rigens)
Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x Acutiflora 'Karl Floerster')
Lomandra (Lomandra Longfolia 'Breeze')
Maritime Ceanothus (Ceanothus Maritimus 'Valley Violet')
Spreading Rush (Juncus Patens 'Elk Blue')
Want more details? https://www.owp.csus.edu/csus-lid/