When water needs plants...

Many of us have heard that one of the benefits of protecting forests is for cleaner air.  That's because trees take in carbon dioxide, and through the process of photosynthesis, trees exchange carbon dioxide with oxygen, which we need in our air in order to breath.  Protected natural lands like forest preserves help ensure that we have spaces for trees and flowers to grow so that we can reap the benefits of cleaner, fresher air.  But did you know forests and other ecosystems also help to clean our water? 

The various plants that grow in forest preserve woodlands, prairies, wetlands, and other natural areas help to soak up billions of gallons of rainfall every time we have a major rainstorm.  According to the National Audubon Society, inland wetlands alone provide over $1.6 annually in water-quality protection in the United States! 

Plants, like all living things, need water.  Without water, plants and other living organisms would dehydrate and loose their ability to maintain necessary body functions.  Plants however, do us another favor by soaking up rainwater during storms, reducing flooding and erosion of soil.  In wetland areas, plants and microorganisms naturally living in the water and soil help to break down dirt, chemicals and other pollutants that wash in from farmlands, manicured lawns, shopping malls, highways and other developed areas.  In other words, the results of the daily activities of plants and microorganisms leave us with cleaner water!  One could perhaps think of our forest preserves as a giant "sponge" helping to soak up access rain while filtering our waterways and drinking water resources. 

In an effort to mimic this natural "forest sponge" effect, the Forest Preserves of Cook County has an ongoing plan to manage and reduce urban stormwater within our landholdings.  At Sand Ridge Nature Center in South Holland for example, you'll notice that the parking lot median has been planted with dozens of native wildflowers blooming in a linear-shaped depression, known as a "bioswale."  The bioswale traps runoff from rain and snow events and allows water to infiltrate into the ground more slowly while native forbes and herbs filter out sediment and automobile fluids.  Runoff that normally would race right into the nearest stream or lake instead makes its way into this artificiality constructed feature. 

On your next nature walk or bike ride, take a few moments to breath in the fresh air that the trees around you help to provide, and stay hydrated with water that likely originated from a clean lake or stream that had some help from natural areas like your Forest Preserves of Cook County.

Learn more about your Forest Preserves stormwater management efforts:
fpdcc.com/conservation/floodplain-stormwater-management/

Alex Palmer
Naturalist, Sand Ridge Nature Center

Figure 1:  Bioswale in the parking lot of Sand Ridge Nature Center, Forest Preserves of Cook County

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