Vegetation and water quality monitoring of a constructed wetland for treatment of urban stormwater runoff: The City of Calgary pilot project

This project involved monitoring the wetland vegetation development and water quality treatment capabilities of a constructed wetland subjected to urban stormwater runoff in the City of Calgary. The constructed wetland site is a pilot project initiated by The City of Calgary. This project involved a review of existing literature, two years of monitoring vegetative growth and water quality at the site, and an examination of the monitoring results.;A constructed wetland is a wetland that is designed and constructed in a nonwetland area. It is usually designed specifically for water quality treatment, however, more recent designs have included ancillary benefits as part of the design objectives. Constructed wetland systems have proven successful in the treatment of wastewater and have been considered as an alternative treatment system for urban stormwater runoff.;The results from the vegetation monitoring program provided useful insight and guidance for the plant spacing, establishment and growth of nine wetland species in constructed wetland systems. These species include: Polygonum amphibium, Hippurus vulgaris, Carex utriculata, Carex atherodes, Eleocharis palustris, Juncus balticus, Potamogeton richardsonii, Potamogeton pectinatus and Myriophyllum exalbiescens. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).