Restoration of a constructed stormwater wetland to improve its ecological and hydrological performance

Abstract

Although the vegetation within constructed stormwater wetlands plays an important role in the treatment processes taking place, its density and distribution depends on the wetland bathymetry and the imposed hydrologic regime. This paper describes an ecological and hydrological assessment of a constructed stormwater treatment wetland over a 5 year period. This assessment included the use of a continuous simulation hydrologic model combined with a Digital Elevation Model of the wetland bathymetry, plus a time series of vegetation maps. The combined spatial and temporal analysis indicates that both the frequency and duration of inundation has affected the fate of vegetation throughout the wetland. Restoration strategies have also been investigated to improve the survival of vegetation within the wetland.