Stormwater Mgmt

Slow the flow

Starting in 2017, we set up a swale and berm system on our hilly land to tackle erosion issues. This system includes mounds (berms) and grass-lined ditches (swales). They help slow rain flowing down the hillsides so the water can seep into the soil. Heavy rain especially can wash away soil particles into our streams and rivers, causing a problem called sedimentation.

At Boxerwood, our ponds and swales work together to slow down the rainwater that runs from the parking lot down to the wetland area. If the swales can't soak up all the water, it moves toward temporary catchment ponds. During big storms, these ponds may overflow, but the slower flow reduces erosion. The ponds, also called vernal pools, are designed to hold water for a short time, so mosquitoes don’t breed there. Instead, they become homes for tadpoles, salamanders, and many other creatures. These ponds are like special hotspots for life and biodiversity, especially in the early spring.

We've set up 1100 feet of berms and swales that lead to these catchment ponds. Around these ponds, we've planted beneficial plants like ferns, paw paw trees, and other native plants that love water. We are in the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, which means what we do here affects everyone downstream. It's important to keep our water clean and healthy.

A similar watershed helper, called a rain garden, is an area meant to capture rain water off of a road or parking lot and slow the flow long enough for the water to infiltrate into the ground to be used by plants like grasses, sedges, shrubs, and even trees that are suited to times of root innundation as well as times of little water. The main difference between a catchment pond and a rain garden is the vegetation that is planted within the holding basin of a rain garden. There is no vegetation planted within the basin of the catchment pond. Only around the edge of the pond.

Find out more about our watershed: chesapeakebayfoundation.org