Floating Wetlands - Vol II - Design - SM
Floating Wetlands - Vol II - Design - SM
Seminar Participants
Biruk Belay, Landscape Architecture
Peter Cromwell, Landscape Architecture
Ann Dinthongsai, Landscape Architecture
Kristen Gelino, Urban Design and Planning
Taj Hanson, Landscape Architecture
Tyson Hiffman, Community and Environmental Planning
Vera Hoang, Community and Environmental Planning
Cayce James, Landscape Architecture
Janice Johnson, Restoration Ecology
Elyssa Kerr, Chemical Engineering
Heather Khan, Environmental Horticulture
Kaie Kuldkepp, Architecture and Landscape
George Lee, Landscape Architecture
Matt MacDonald, Landscape Architecture
Autumn Nettey, Landscape Architecture
Jonathan Pagan, Landsape Architecture
Malda Takieddine, Landscape Architecture
Wenny Tsai, Forest Resources
Alyse Wright, Landscape Architecture
Seminar Leadership
Leann Andrews, RLA, SEED, Instructor/Lab Manager, Green Futures Lab, University of Washington
Nancy Rottle, RLA, Professor/Director, Green Futures Lab, University of Washington
PAGE 2 | ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Foreword
W etlands of many types are now recognized for their multiple high functional values,
providing critical habitat, food production for many species of fish and wildlife, cleansing
and storing water, and regulating temperatures. Yet our wetlands and waterways continue to
degrade due to impacts of urbanization. How might we begin to restore the quality of these
important environments, using the natural processes that occur in wetlands? Constructed
floating wetlands are promising restoration tools, mimicking the processes that naturally occur
in wetlands and nearshore environments while being cost and space effective. Yet while
floating wetlands have been employed as useful green technologies around the world, little
testing of their application has been done in the Pacific Northwest.
This document is the result of a seminar that investigated the feasibility of deploying floating
wetlands in King County, WA, offered through the Green Futures Research and Design Lab
at the University of Washington in the Spring of 2013. The seminar drew interest from 17 UW
students in numerous disciplines who asked the questions “what can we learn from naturally-
occurring, vernacular, and proprietary designed floating wetlands?” and “what research
can inform the design of floating wetlands?” They applied this knowledge to explore and
design floating wetlands for two distinctly different conditions: one, where shading of a newly
constructed shallow freshwater wetland is required to keep temperatures sufficiently low to
support fish species, and the other to enrich habitat and potentially improve water quality
and cultural / ecological literacy in the Duwamish River mouth where excess shading can be
problematic for juvenile salmon.
This document is divided into two volumes: Research and Design. The research volume is a
window into a larger body of case studies and literature on floating wetland systems, aimed
to inform designers, decision-makers and the general public on the breadth of interest in
floating wetlands worldwide. The design volume documents the design process in the ten-
week seminar, and highlights new floating wetland design ideas for the Lower Stensland Creek
Wetland and South Park Bridge Duwamish River sites. It is our hope that these design ideas will
be further developed into constructed demonstration projects in the near future.
We extend our many thanks to King County ecologist Mason Bowles, who initially approached
the Green Futures Lab with an invitation to investigate the potential of deploying floating
wetlands on the Duwamish River, assisted with fundraising and supported our investigations
throughout the project. We are sincerely grateful for the generous financial support of
Waterfront Construction, Inc., without which the robust research in the seminar and this
document would not have been possible. Paul and Zach Wilcox from Waterfront Construction
Inc., also presented their carefully designed prototype solutions, deepening the students’
understanding of issues and possibilities for floating wetland applications. We are also
indebted to our Advisory Committee who informed and guided the students through this
creative and scientific process. Finally, thanks to the team of interdisciplinary UW students
who have spent countless hours researching and creating over the past ten weeks. We hope
that we will all continue the dialogue in the next phase of testing our designs, and that this
document will be useful to all.
Nancy Rottle
Professor/Director Green Futures Lab, University of Washington
Leann Andrews
Instructor/Lab Manager Green Futures Lab, University of Washington
Table of Contents
Volume I: Research
Biomimicry/Nature Case Studies p. 8-13
Vernacular Case Studies p. 14-18
Contemporary Local, National and International Case Studies p. 19-43
Proprietary Products p. 44-51
Literature Review of Floating Wetlands Performance p. 52-59
Above Image:
Aerial view of Lower Stensland
Creek Site
Left Image:
100% construction plan of the
recently constructed Lower
Stensland Wetland Mitigation
Site. The floating wetlands
could be installed in any of the
wetland cells.
5 year design
[King County Department of Transportation]
Left Image:
plan of the recently constructed
South Park Bridge, and potential
locations for a floating wetland
demonstration project
the potential
demonstration
project would
be situated
between
the bumper
walls and the
abutments,
removed from June 3, 2013 construction photo
[King County Department of Transportation]
tribal fishing
areas
Rendered image of the South Park Bridge June 3, 2013 construction photo
[King County Department of Transportation] [King County Department of Transportation]
Students began the design process by creating design criteria from Above Image:
information provided by King County for each of the potential Brainstorming design criteria
sites. The Lower Stensland Creek site had a more directed goal to [Matt MacDonald]
components
-strong, buyant frame (able to support birds)
-anchoring system (i.e. fixed pole, rope to shoreline, anchor, free floating)
-nutrients/growing medium (i.e. soil, coir/organic layer, hydroponic)
-appropriate plants (urban tough, native, emergent/wetland plants
Students synthesized information from the case studies, literature review, and advisory board
presentations, and individually crafted conceptual design ideas for a floating wetland system. This
initial brainstorming phase was not site specific, however students did carefully consider the design
criteria when formulating sketches.
There were several trends in students’ designs. Many tackled the varying regulatory shade
requirements for each of the sites while also considering habitat needs. Some students investigated
the capacity to mimic nearshore habitat conditions through various planting levels, while others
examined ways to maximize edges and the potential for overhanging vegetations and insects.
Designs explored various structural shapes, with a common emphasis on a modular design solution
that addresses efficient constructability and flexibility of adapting to site conditions. This modular
exploration often manifested in a ‘checkerboard’ pattern to allow light. Lastly, students explored
ways that the floating wetlands could contribute to the human experience, by being a sculptural
and intriguing piece of land art.
Shade Needs
investigating ways to address the different shade needs of the sites: dappled shade and gentle
shade/light transitions for the Duwamish River site, and full shade coverage for the Lower Stensland
Creek site
Above Image:
Image from the design workshop
[Photo by Mies]
recycled
or donated floating
fiberglass nurse logs
boats
-massing
-exploration
+ curiosity
modular
hexigon
provides
mobility,
flexibility,
installed access,
edges,
light modular structure
with plant holes
1 month
organic material
air capsules
Dock floats
ANCHORS
(north)
Concept
6’ Cell - Floating 27
75
7’ Cell - Submerged 18
70
7’ Cell - Anchor 12
5 Gallon Bucket 45
Twine Lashing
70
75
75
75
willow
stake
willow
Shoreline Frame: City name
stake willow or - willow or dogwood tag line
dogwood species frame
willow or - allowing it to root
frame
dogwood over time
frame -strong anchoring
near shoreline
- gradients of plants
twine 1”-3” spacing
- provides rich biodi-
netting 1”-3” spacing versity
twine
netting
coconut
coir
coconut
coir
- bamboo frame
clay/glass ball -provide shade with
matting while plants Frame connection
are being seeded
- floating frames that
are flexible
Materials
SHORELINE
SHORELINE
SHORELINE SUBMERGED
SUBMERGED SUBMERGED FLOATINGFLOATING
FLOATING
plants + willow
plantsstake
+plants
willow+stake
willow stake submerged
submerged
plantssubmerged
plants plants seeded floating
seededplants
floating
seeded floating
plants plants
coconut coir
coconutcoconut
coir coir coconut coir
coconutcoconut
coir coir
stabilization
soil stabilization
matting
soil stabilization
mattingmatting
soil stabilization
soil stabilization
matting
soil stabilization
mattingmatting twine netting
twine netting
twine netting
or twine netting
or twineornetting
twine netting
o 5’ willow/dogwood
2’ to 5’ willow/dogwood
2’ to 5’ willow/dogwood 2’ to 5’ willow/dogwood
2’ to 5’ willow/dogwood
2’ to 5’frame
willow/dogwood
frame frame 2’ to 5’ wide
2’ to
bamboo
5’ wide
2’ toframe
5’
bamboo
wide bamboo
frame frame
frame frame frame or bambooorframebamboo
or bamboo
frame frame
5-gallon plastic
5-gallon
buckets-
5-gallon
plastic buckets-
plastic buckets- 5-gallon plastic
5-gallon
buckets-
5-gallon
plastic buckets-
plastic buckets-
glass ballsglass balls
glass balls glass ballsglass balls
glass balls
Phasing
plant adapt
+0yr +2yr
plants
plants Submerged: Native plants that
provide shade, fish habitat and lower
willow/ dogwood
willow/ dogwood temperature.
frame w/ coconut coir coir
frame w/ coconut
Emergent areas: Native plants, a
diverse palette of grasses (sedges,
soil stabilizer
soil stabilizer rushes) and flowering plants.
wave attenuation
+4yr +6yr
Pros
• Modular + scalable
• Provides needed shade
on day 1
• Uses inexpensive
materials, most of which
are biodegradable
• Creates complex and
diverse edges
• Supports numerous plant
types for habitat diversity
• Extends nearshore
habitat
• Creates dappled light
• Likely resilient in
changing water levels
current conditions and wave attenuation
• Relatively easy to
decommission
• May provide benthic
habitat after buoyancy
is lost
Cons
• May be labor intensive
• Buoyancy requirements
need to be calculated
• Uncertain lifespan
Questions
• Could the modules
be designed in such a
way that they could
be decommissioned in
+ after construction phases?
• How can geese
habitation be
discouraged either
through plant choice (i.e.
shrubs or tall grasses) or
browse management
provisions?
• Would it be less cost or
more desirable to use
a submerged anchor
rather than anchor at the
shore?
• Are there additional
elements that can be
added to more readily
encourage the growth of
biofilm?
+5 years
Design Criteria:
Design Goals:
Lower Stensland Creek Site:
To enhance and
• Decrease water temperature through shading- dappled light for fish expand habitat
• Fixed location (anchoring system) through water quality
improvement and
• Last for ~5 years
mimicry of natural
• Organic, available and sustainable construction materials systems
• Buoyant
Explore modular
Duwamish River Site: designs flexible enough
to be applicable in a
• Improve water quality through uptake of pollutants variety of local settings
• Highly durable
• Maximize biofilm formation
• Scalable and replicable
• Low impact on other water activities (anchoring)
FLOATING WETLANDS
LOWER STENSLAND
CREEK WETLANDS
PAGE 82 | DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
Existing
Conditions +
Site Context
for Duwamish
River Site
FLOATING WETLAND
Synthetic twine/
Wetland System Emergent wetland plants zip ties
Lashing
Floatation device
Buckets/
Recycled bottles
Bolts
Synthetic mat
Substrate
Aluminum frame
Frame
Floatation device
Dock Floats
6’-8’
Shade diagram
6’-8’
Plan
Anchor system
Section
PAGE 86 | DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
Duwamish Floating Wetland System Design Details
20’
Planting diagram
12’
Plan
Section
Pros
Stensland Creek:
-Inexpensive
-Simple
-Natural + available materials
-Easy construction
-Movable
Duwamish:
-Durable
-Abundant biofilm surfaces
-Adjustable heights for
differing shoreline conditions
-Reusable materials
Cons
Stensland Creek:
-The timeline it would take for
plant growth and to fully be a
useful means for shading
-Unsure of plant growing
capabilities
-Durability
-Bird use
Duwamish:
-Expensive materials
-Construction cost
-Material availability
-Unsure of plant growing
capabilities
-Hard to transport out of water
-Maintenance
-Bird use
Questions
Stensland Creek:
-Will the willow and dogwood
clippings sprout, and if so is
the layer of emergent plants
or the coir necessary?
-Will the plants thrive?
-How buoyant or stable is the
bamboo structure?
-Are the extra floating devices
needed?
Duwamish:
-How well can a plant
community establish itself in
the synthetic planting matrix?
-What about invasive species?
-How can this design be more
aesthetically pleasing?
-How can ecological literacy
be present in the design,
since it will be highly visible by
boaters?
Concept
ORGANIC LITTER
EYE CATCHER
HABITAT
PHYTOREMEDIATION
AESTHETICS
HABITAT
FISH INTERACTION
AESTHETICS
HABITAT
BIOFILM WATER
HUMAN INTERACTION
ORGANIC LITTER
Culture
Reference historic timber rafts
Boat to become an icon
Partner with community organizations for upkeep and monitoring
Allow for public interaction
Sustainability
Use non-functional, recycled boat Great chained log rafts on the
Use plastic only when benefit outweighs concern; matrix for biofilm Columbia River, WA
[Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic
views]
Context plan of how proposed S.S. Wetland Installation might fit into the site
Section Details
Emergent salt water plants
Coconut coir
Coir mat
Log
Coir rope
Roots
Log
Coir rope
Roots
Logs
How can they be
transported?
TIMBER RAFT
How big will they be?
Will the bark fall off and
create an undesireable
BOAT
Coconut coir-top of logs, side of boat Plastic matrix for biofilm under the boat and logs Coconut coir - between logs Fish
Will the fish behave
as though the floating
wetland is a nearshore
habitat?
Will the structure create
PLANT MEDIA
undesirable bass
habitat?
Overall
What is the scale of the
Chain to secure logs Log boom chain Log boom chain
project?
How much shade will it
produce?
How will people interact
with it?
Who will maintain it?
How will it be
CONNECTORS
Reviewer Suggestions:
Create a small scale
Anchors to restrict movement C-clamps Coir rope
version as an art
installation, and apply
for a public art grant
Use cameras to monitor
the site and/or act as
educational elements
Maintain 60% open area
in the wetland
Test Site
6x6’ concrete pond
14” deep
Vertical walls
Bottom debris
Shaded by vegetation
Mix of rainwater
and municipal water
Closed, circulating system
Aerated by small waterfall
Findings,
Ten Days into Test
No sprouts or roots yet.
Vertical test stakes in muck
sprouted new growth,
demonstrating viability of
stakes used for these rafts.
Pliant, easy to weave Stiff, difficult to weave Very pliant, easy to weave
Still self-buoyant after ten Needed floats immediately Self-buoyant for first four
days days, then needed floats
Initial degree of rigidity and Initial degree of rigidity and Lost most rigidity, woven
tension persists tension persists structure beginning to fail
Do local populations grow Are larger stakes also as Would a dome shaped
tall enough for up-scaling brittle? weave retain enough
the design? tension to stay intact without
lashing?