Runoff from a new 300-unit parking area along the banks of the Olentangy River will be diverted through an engineered bioswale. Outflow water entering the Olentangy River is filtered both physically and biologically.
 

Water is sheeted off the pavement through a rock apron to reduce velocity. It is then collected into a channel and delivered to the head to the swale to maximize duration and distance of filtration.
 

The swale is filled highly organic porous material placed over a perforated underdrain to avoid long-term saturation.
 

Trees and shrubs are regional natives adapted to riparian conditions and have ornamental qualities. The downside of the berm is planted with a no-mow fescue grass mix.
 

Students from Dr. Martin Quigley's horticulture class cultivated the plants that were to be used for the bioswale, and Dr. Andy Ward's hydrology class studied the feasibility of the bioswale design and its efficacy in filtering runoff.