Lafayette Oaks Bioswale
In the early part of 2014, the Lafayette Oaks Home Owners Association coordinated with Leon County and the City of Tallahassee TAPP program to establish a large community garden. To address potential stormwater issues a large bioswale was designed and installed just downslope of the garden area.
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Before the Bioswale & Community Garden
Planning
Survey: Utilities and property boundaries in the vicinity were identified. Not good to build on someone else's property or dig into a power line.
Soils & Groundwater: Research indicated that soil infiltration rates might be low and the potential for the groundwater table to be relatively close to the ground surface during wet years (12-18 inches). As such the bioswale was designed to be relatively shallow (6 inches). Location: The swale was located downslope of the garden area and an existing drainge swale to intercept stormwater runoff. A wide gap was placed between two cells to allow direct access to the garden area from the HOA community center to the east of the community garden property. |
Construction
Step 1. Property boundaries, underground utilities and excavation area marked in the field to guide construction crews.
Step 2. Heavy equipment does the heavy duty digging [4/22/2014]. Thanks Leon County Public Works!
Step 3. HOA members and other volunteers finish grading. [5/31/2014]
Step 4. Bring in the Plants! [7/1/2014]
The Garden in Action
Maintenance & Monitoring
On September 19, 2015 several members of the Lafayette Oaks Community Garden gathered for the formidable Fall maintenance of the bioswale. After a morning full of weed pulling, dirt digging, mulch dumping and wheelbarrow racing, the south bioswale was completely reclaimed and just a smattering of pesky weeds remained entrenched in the north swale. Small skirmishes with the weeds in the north swale continued on for a couple of weeks before final victory was declared by the gardeners and volunteers and a celebratory layer of free mulch from the county dumped on the battlefield. Some highlights of this epic struggle are depicted below: