Floating Wetlands
The purpose of this project was to improve water quality of an inland community lake experiencing harmful algal blooms.
- Date: June 2021
- Client: Springbrook Farms HOA
- Project Type: Water Quality Improvement
About This Project
These floating wetlands are made out of a mesh-like matrix that allows beneficial microbes to grow and feed on excess nutrients in the water.
- Can survive harsh UV rays and freezing waters
- Improves water quality
- Provides shade and habiat for fish and aquatic invertebrates
- Aesthetically pleasing
- Great for pollinators and birds as well
Biohaven floating wetlands are small artificial platforms that allow aquatic emergent plants to grow in water that is typically too deep for them. Their roots grow down into the water creating dense columns with lots of surface area. Not only do the plants take up nutrients and contaminants themselves, the plant roots and floating mat material provide extensive surface area for microbes to grow, forming a slimy layer of biofilm. The biofilm is where the majority of nutrient uptake and degradation occurs in a floating wetland system. The shelter provided by the floating mat also allows sediment and elements to settle by reducing turbulence and mixing by wind and wave action.
The unique ecosystem that develops creates the potential to capture nutrients and transform common pollutants that would otherwise plague and harm our lakes into harmless byproducts. Not only do floating wetlands treat and purify our fresh water supply, but they also create important habitat for fish and aquatic invertebrates by giving them cover, shade, and cooler water temperatures in an aquatic environment that would typically be comparable to a desert lacking vegetation and canopy cover. Floating wetlands work in various freshwater systems such as stormwater ponds, wastewater lagoons, and landfill leachate ponds.
