Wet Swales
11/13/2025
“How do we categorize water quality swales that are saturated for most of the time?”
Water quality swales come in many different sizes. Dry swales are dry for most of the time, but there are also Wet Swales that remain saturated for most of the time. Wet swales are built into existing swales and store stormwater runoff within a collection of cells inside the channel. This setup can lead to conditions similar to those found in wetlands. Managers usually implement wet swales to treat and convey stormwater runoff, but not infiltration since they’re not designed for infiltration.
Image credit: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/
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