Learn what bioswales are and how they are included in flood projections
Definition
Bioswales are channels designed to convey stormwater runoff. Bioswales are an example of green infrastructure. Green infrastructure refers to man-made stormwater management infrastructure that relies on natural components such as plants, well-drained soils, and other “soft” materials to soak up runoff, thereby reducing flooding and improving surface water quality. Green infrastructure is a group of adaptation measures included in the First Street Foundation Flood Model.
Bioswale in Washington, DC
Flood risk reduction
Information on Flood Factor comes from the First Street Foundation Flood Model. A bioswale is one of the 40 different types of flood risk reduction projects, known as adaptation, that this model considers when calculating and validating flood projections.
The Adaptation Team continues to collect information on the flood infrastructure that exists across the country to make sure the Flood Model includes as many adaptation projects as possible. If you know of any projects that are not shown today, please help the team by submitting this flood protection project user input form. The adaptation database contains 23,000 features today. We know there are more projects to include and value your input!