How Oysters Filter Water

05/18/26

“How do oysters filter water?”

What do you think of when someone says the word “oyster”? For many, an image of delicious seafood pops into their mind. But what if that same organism also acts as a natural filter for waterbodies? Oysters feed off phytoplankton, algae, and suspended particles. Often, these items are rich in nitrogen, and oysters can absorb the nitrogen and use it to build their shells and tissues. The process ends with cleaner water and a satisfied oyster. This is How Oysters Filter Water.

Waterlogging

05/17/26

“What happens when soils become completely saturated with water?”

Soils often contain air and water between their solid particles. But when water saturates soil, it pushes out air and creates anaerobic conditions, suffocating plant roots. Waterlogging is a massive problem for agriculture and requires careful monitoring. Waterlogging typically occurs during heavy inundation events like floods or rainstorms.

Planters

05/09/26

“How can we store multiple plants in one container?”

People store plants in containers to take care of them. Containers that can store multiple plants at once are labelled Planters. Because planters can store multiple combinations of plants, they tend to be more diverse than pots. Planters can come in irregular shapes instead of stricly cylindrical forms.

Sloped Green Roofs

01/09/26

“What are the advantages and disadvantages of sloping a green roof?”

Green roofs integrate stormwater management, biodiversity, building insulation, and aesthetic design all into one package. We can also pitch these green roofs at a slight angle to make Sloped Green Roofs. Sloped green roofs reduce ponding and may improve aesthetic appearance, but are also structurally and hydrologically more complicated. Stormwater runs off more from sloped green roofs, meaning roof plants may have to rely on other sources of water. 

Check Dams

11/14/25

“How can we prevent erosion using structures that slow down water flow?”

Water flowing too fast in a specific area can lead to erosion. We can slow water down to prevent erosion, not only by removing harsh friction but also by allowing sediment to settle and replenish eroded gullies. Slower water also has more time to infiltrate and recharge groundwater levels. So what if we create miniature dams that impede the flow of water to moderate velocity and achieve sedimentation control? Well, this is the idea behind Check Dams. Check dams are a foundational part of erosion and stormwater management. Infrastructure designers can implement check dams in water quality swales to achieve synergy across both interventions. Check dams are usually implemented in channels or swales instead of live streams. It’s recommended to not build check dams in high-slope environments since the velocities of the incoming water may be too high for check dams to handle effectively.

Image credit: https://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/

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/