The Stanley Park Stormwater Treatment Wetland is an engineered wetland designed to treat stormwater runoff from the Stanley Park Causeway. The treatment system, located within the park on the edge of Lost Lagoon, was constructed as part of the Lions Gate Bridge rehabilitation project. The wetland showcases the viability of innovative alternatives to traditional stormwater infrastructure.
Stanley Park Wetland makes a significant contribution to a healthy regional hydrologic system. Contaminated stormwater from the roadway contains dissolved contaminants such as metals and petroleum. The redesign of the Stanley Park Causeway directs stormwater containing these pollutants into the treatment wetland. These pollutants are filtered and absorbed through a complex network of plant and soil material within the wetland. The clean, treated water then flows into Lost Lagoon and the surrounding ecosystem of Stanley Park.
The benefits from the engineered wetland are numerous. The diversity of plant species included in the design provides a considerable increase in terrestrial, aquatic, and aviary habitat within the park. The wetland, which includes native BC riparian plants, resembles the vegetated marshland that once existed around Lost Lagoon earlier in the 20th century. The wetland provides an educational experience in the park engaging the public with interpretive signage and an aesthetically enhanced environment in an urban, accessible location. In addition, the project contributes to economic sustainability by taking pressure off the municipal system. Because it does not need the repairs of an engineered system, the treatment wetland has lover long-term costs and eliminated the need for the resource-intensive materials used in a traditional stormwater drainage system.
Tours: Open to the public.
This post was imported from the 'Greater Vancouver Green Guide', it's part of the 'Green Guide Portal' to the Green Building Brain
