Stormwater trees look like typical street trees, but these specially designed systems include a deep stone pit that holds excess water during intense rainstorms and as snow melts.
Stormwater trees are planted in specialized pits installed on the sidewalk. Stormwater runoff is conveyed to a stormwater tree through sheet flow or a grate that is placed along the curb and connected to the tree pit. Stormwater trees that have the planting media lower than the surrounding elevation require a protective barrier. Multiple tree pits can be designed in series to maximize the potential for stormwater capture, treatment, and infiltration. Trees help reduce the volume of stormwater runoff through evapotranspiration.
