Port Burwell Bioswale

Bayham, Ontario

On the shores of Lake Erie, at Port Burwell Beach, our landscape architects designed a bioswale that resembled predevelopment hydrology.

Located on the shores of Lake Erie, Port Burwell Beach faced challenges with stormwater runoff and pollutants entering the lake. In response, Meritech Engineering designed a multi-phased stormwater system improvement strategy, and Aboud & Associates provided Ecology and Landscape Architecture services to develop low-impact development (LID) stormwater management strategies that emphasized conservation and use of natural features.

The team's preferred LID solution was a 100-meter long bioswale designed to mimic predevelopment hydrology. This shallow depression, created in the earth and featuring specially selected vegetation, filters out contaminants and treats stormwater runoff before it enters the lake. The bioswale has helped to significantly reduce the amount of pollutants entering Lake Erie, improving water quality and protecting aquatic ecosystems.

This innovative stormwater solution was recognized with the 2018 Grand River Consulting Engineers of Ontario Platinum Award of Merit for Municipal Infrastructure, highlighting the project's low-cost and effective design. The bioswale, in conjunction with the Municipality of Bayham's management and operations practices, also earned the Port Burwell Municipal Beach the international Blue Flag award in 2018, one of only twenty-seven in Canada. These accolades showcase the success and impact of the project, and its potential to serve as a model for other stormwater management initiatives.