Wetland Science

[freeztar]

Here are some pics Freeztar of the wetlands near my house I'd say I would get for you.. :evil:

 

Sweet! :evil:

I love this stuff! :hihi:

 

Its at the lowest waterpoint prolly for this area possible.

It still seems healthy to me.

 

This is now Padden Parkway, a new corridor that makes easier access to major freeway and major shopping at Costco and Home Depot. At the expense of some wetland of course..

 

However, as we are somewhat environmentally cautious around these parts, they did try to minimize the damage.

It looks like they did a really good job actually. I would have to see the other side to know for sure, but it looks like they were very careful to use fill only where necessary and to build on 3:1 (maybe 4:1) slopes to minimize impact. They have good growth along the slope (from what I can tell from the photo) and the right of way fencing is much more robust than usual (leading me to believe that it is also supposed to exclude deer and other large mammals from encountering the roadway).

 

Thanks for the pictures Racoon! :)

If you happen by there again with a camera in hand, take some shots of the other side of the road. Where is the drainage focused beneath the road? What size pipe was used? Do you see wildlife tracks in the sediment within the pipes? And most importantly, what is that monoculture grass stand that sits in the distance (from the 3rd and 4th pics)? :)

 

Cheers!

freezy

[freeztar]

Upon reviewing the photos more, they should plant some trees or shrubs along the drainage areas. The WADOT have (or at least when I was there 2003) access to salvaged plants at a state run nursery outside of Olympia/Tumwater.

 

If you saw the crap I see on a day-to-day basis...it makes your photos look exemplary.

 

The problem with leaving the ground bare there is that most likely, Scot's Broom will overtake it (I see some all along the edges of the wetland, in your pics). Establishing native growth early on will help stave away any foreign growth and at the same time benefit the rest of the water downstream.