Descriptive Analysis of the Performance of a Vegetated Swale through Long-Term Hydrological Monitoring: A Case Study from Coventry, UK

Sañudo-Fontaneda, Luis A.; Roces-García, Jorge; Coupe, Stephen J.; Barrios-Crespo, Esther; Rey-Mahía, Carlos; Álvarez-Rabanal, Felipe P.; Lashford, Craig

doi:10.3390/w12102781

Open AccessArticle

Descriptive Analysis of the Performance of a Vegetated Swale through Long-Term Hydrological Monitoring: A Case Study from Coventry, UK

by

Luis A. Sañudo-Fontaneda

^1,2,*

,

Jorge Roces-García

¹

,

Stephen J. Coupe

²,

Esther Barrios-Crespo

¹,

Carlos Rey-Mahía

¹

,

Felipe P. Álvarez-Rabanal

¹

and

Craig Lashford

²

¹

INDUROT Research Institute, GICONSIME Research Group, Department of Construction and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Oviedo, Campus of Mieres, Gonzalo Gutierrez Quiros s/n, 33600 Mieres, Spain

²

Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University, Ryton Gardens, Coventry CV8 3LG, UK

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Water 2020, 12(10), 2781; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12102781

Submission received: 15 August 2020 / Revised: 12 September 2020 / Accepted: 30 September 2020 / Published: 6 October 2020

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Urban Water Resources)

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Abstract

Vegetated swales are a popular sustainable drainage system (SuDS) used in a wide range of environments from urban areas and transport infrastructure, to rural environments, sub-urban and natural catchments. Despite the fact that vegetated swales, also known as grassed swales, have received scientific attention over recent years, especially from a hydrological perspective, there is a need for further research in the field, with long-term monitoring. In addition, vegetated swales introduce further difficulties, such as the biological growth occurring in their surface layer, as well as the biological evolution taking place in them. New developments, such as the implementation of thermal devices within the cross-section of green SuDS for energy saving purposes, require a better understanding of the long-term performance of the surface temperature of swales. This research aims to contribute to a better understanding of these knowledge gaps through a descriptive analysis of a vegetated swale in Ryton, Coventry, UK, under a Cfb Köppen climatic classification and a mixed rural and peri-urban scenario. Precipitation and temperature patterns associated with seasonality effects were identified. Furthermore, a level of biological evolution was described due to the lack of periodical and planned maintenance activities, reporting the presence of both plant species and pollinators. Only one event of flooding was identified during the three hydrological years monitored in this research study, showing a robust performance.

Keywords: biological evolution; ecosystem services; low impact development (LID); stormwater best management practices (BMP); stormwater control measures (SCMs); sustainable drainage systems (SuDS); water sensitive urban design (WSUD)

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MDPI and ACS Style

Sañudo-Fontaneda, L.A.; Roces-García, J.; Coupe, S.J.; Barrios-Crespo, E.; Rey-Mahía, C.; Álvarez-Rabanal, F.P.; Lashford, C. Descriptive Analysis of the Performance of a Vegetated Swale through Long-Term Hydrological Monitoring: A Case Study from Coventry, UK. Water 2020, 12, 2781. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12102781

AMA Style

Sañudo-Fontaneda LA, Roces-García J, Coupe SJ, Barrios-Crespo E, Rey-Mahía C, Álvarez-Rabanal FP, Lashford C. Descriptive Analysis of the Performance of a Vegetated Swale through Long-Term Hydrological Monitoring: A Case Study from Coventry, UK. Water. 2020; 12(10):2781. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12102781

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sañudo-Fontaneda, Luis A., Jorge Roces-García, Stephen J. Coupe, Esther Barrios-Crespo, Carlos Rey-Mahía, Felipe P. Álvarez-Rabanal, and Craig Lashford. 2020. "Descriptive Analysis of the Performance of a Vegetated Swale through Long-Term Hydrological Monitoring: A Case Study from Coventry, UK" Water 12, no. 10: 2781. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12102781

APA Style

Sañudo-Fontaneda, L. A., Roces-García, J., Coupe, S. J., Barrios-Crespo, E., Rey-Mahía, C., Álvarez-Rabanal, F. P., & Lashford, C. (2020). Descriptive Analysis of the Performance of a Vegetated Swale through Long-Term Hydrological Monitoring: A Case Study from Coventry, UK. Water, 12(10), 2781. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12102781

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Descriptive Analysis of the Performance of a Vegetated Swale through Long-Term Hydrological Monitoring: A Case Study from Coventry, UK

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