Cascade Meadow Flyer (1)
Content
BACKGROUND
Cascade Meadow Wetlands & Environmental Science Center in Rochester, Minnesota connects people and communities through water, energy, and sustainability education. Their mission is to establish Cascade Meadow as a regional resource for environmental education.
Floating Treatment Wetlands (FTW) mimic natural wetlands to create a concentrated wetland effect. Made of recycled materials, the durable island supports plants that grow roots below the island. The combination of plants and the island material attracts microbes that break down water-borne pollutants.
APPROACH
Designed by Midwest Floating Island, the 300 square foot floating island ecosystem was added to a storm water pond near the Rochester Athletic Center. Floating Treatment Wetlands are an excellent solution for retrofitting existing ponds for better water quality because there no additional land or engineering is needed. The island moves up and down easily as water depth changes which avoids issues with plants being flooded or drying out. The floating island was made in a teardrop shape to echo the logo of Cascade Meadow. The island was launched with a mix of over 600 plants including asters and sedges, swamp milkweed, ironweed and other wetland plants to build a filtering root system under the island and an aesthetic mix on top of the island. A fence was added to discourage geese from disrupting the new plantings. The fence can be removed once the plants are established.
The island was installed in a 1.4 acre storm water pond near the Rochester Athletic Center. The storm water pond had the typical nutrient and heavy metal pollution found in storm water runoff. The water eventually flows into the Zumbro River.
DESIRED OUTCOMES
• • • • • Educate public about storm water Reduce nutrient pollution from storm water runoff Mitigate heavy metals Provide habitat for wildlife Improve aesthetics of pond area
Cascade Meadow teamed up with Midwest Floating Island of St. Paul, Heidi's Lifestyle Gardens, and Sargent's Gardens to construct the eco-friendly floating island which is intended to serve as a habitat for animals living in or around the pond and as a water filtration system. The island was launched in July 2013.
Launching island at Cascade Meadow
w: MidwestFloatingIsland.com
p: (800) 328-2282 or (651) 379-2480
e: [email protected]
Cascade Meadow Wetlands & Environmental Science Center in Rochester, Minnesota connects people and communities through water, energy, and sustainability education. Their mission is to establish Cascade Meadow as a regional resource for environmental education.
Floating Treatment Wetlands (FTW) mimic natural wetlands to create a concentrated wetland effect. Made of recycled materials, the durable island supports plants that grow roots below the island. The combination of plants and the island material attracts microbes that break down water-borne pollutants.
APPROACH
Designed by Midwest Floating Island, the 300 square foot floating island ecosystem was added to a storm water pond near the Rochester Athletic Center. Floating Treatment Wetlands are an excellent solution for retrofitting existing ponds for better water quality because there no additional land or engineering is needed. The island moves up and down easily as water depth changes which avoids issues with plants being flooded or drying out. The floating island was made in a teardrop shape to echo the logo of Cascade Meadow. The island was launched with a mix of over 600 plants including asters and sedges, swamp milkweed, ironweed and other wetland plants to build a filtering root system under the island and an aesthetic mix on top of the island. A fence was added to discourage geese from disrupting the new plantings. The fence can be removed once the plants are established.
The island was installed in a 1.4 acre storm water pond near the Rochester Athletic Center. The storm water pond had the typical nutrient and heavy metal pollution found in storm water runoff. The water eventually flows into the Zumbro River.
DESIRED OUTCOMES
• • • • • Educate public about storm water Reduce nutrient pollution from storm water runoff Mitigate heavy metals Provide habitat for wildlife Improve aesthetics of pond area
Cascade Meadow teamed up with Midwest Floating Island of St. Paul, Heidi's Lifestyle Gardens, and Sargent's Gardens to construct the eco-friendly floating island which is intended to serve as a habitat for animals living in or around the pond and as a water filtration system. The island was launched in July 2013.
Launching island at Cascade Meadow
w: MidwestFloatingIsland.com
p: (800) 328-2282 or (651) 379-2480
e: [email protected]
