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The Wet and Wild World of Constructed Wetlands

Webinar replay from December 10, 2019

Constructed stormwater wetlands utilize a complex system of physical, chemical, and biological processes to address stormwater pollutants from impervious surfaces. They are one of many green infrastructure tools to manage and protect the quality of stormwater into nearby water bodies and beyond. Furthermore, as a stormwater asset, these practices are adaptable and can often capture and treat large volumes of runoff, allowing for a cost-effective opportunity for communities to address regulatory requirements, water quality goals, and climate resiliency. Beyond treatment, these features provide an opportunity to enhance aesthetics in a neighborhood while providing natural habitat and public amenity when implemented in parks and open space. However, constructed stormwater wetlands can also have siting, design and construction challenges that require innovative approaches.

This presentation will focus on three main topics: overview of constructed stormwater wetland design, case studies of construction projects implemented by the Horsley Witten Group in New England over the past five years, and lessons learned during the various phases of those projects.

Brian Kuchar, P.E., R.L.A., LEED AP, has 20 years of experience in the combined fields of landscape architecture and civil engineering. His passion for the preservation of the natural environment provides the foundation for all his design work. He is a registered landscape
architect as well as a professional engineer and served as an adjunct professor in the Landscape Architecture Department at the University of Rhode Island.

Jennifer Relstab, P.E., has over 14 years of professional experience in civil and environmental engineering. Her expertise is in stormwater management and Low Impact Development planning, assessment, design, and implementation. She also performs extensive GIS mapping, analysis, and modeling to support many of Sustaining the Living Landscape The 25th Annual ELA Conference & Eco-Marketplace March 6 & 7, 2019 at the UMass Murray D. Lincoln Campus Center, Amherst, MA her projects. She is currently working with several municipalities in the New England area to identify new and retrofit green infrastructure projects using tools such as ArcCollector and Survey123; develop designs for priority sites; and install innovative stormwater practices, including a recently completed constructed stormwater wetland in the Town of Milford, Massachusetts.

Michelle West, P.E., has more than 14 years of professional experience in civil and environmental engineering. Her specific expertise is in stormwater management assessment and policy, watershed planning, hydraulic/hydrologic modeling, and GI planning, assessment, design, and implementation. She is the lead author on the following stormwater manuals: Rhode Island Stormwater Design and Installation Standards Manual (2010 Update), CNMI and Guam Stormwater Management Manual, and the Palau Stormwater Management Manual. She has also assisted with several other technical stormwaterrelated manuals and guides, including the recent update of the Vermont Stormwater Manual and the RI LID Site Planning and Design Guidance for Communities.

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