PO7 - Prevent surface water status deterioration

Rain gardens are defined as small-scale vegetated gardens used for storage and infiltration. The term ‘rain garden’ is often used interchangeably with ‘bioretention area’ (although the latter could also be applied more loosely to other measures such as filter strips or swales). 

Permeable paving is designed to allow rainwater to infiltrate through the surface, either into underlying layers (soils and aquifers), or be stored below ground and released at a controlled rate to surface water. Permeable paving is used as a general term, but two types can be distinguished:

-       Porous pavements, where water is infiltrated across the entire surface (e.g. reinforced grass or gravel, or...

Riverbank represents both natural and man-made features following the river flow. In the past, lots ofmany artificial banks were built with concrete or other types of retaining walls, thus restricting the natural movements of rivers, leading to river degradation, increased water flow, increased erosion and reduced biodiversity. 

Green roofs are multi-layered systems that cover the roof of a building with vegetation and/or green landscaping over a drainage layer. There are two types of green roof: 

• Extensive green roofs cover...

Infiltration trenches are defined as shallow excavations filled with rubble or stone. Their function is to facilitate the natural process of infiltration into the surrounding soils from the bottom and sides of the trench, thereby enhancing the soil's inherent capacity for drainage. Ideally, they should receive lateral inflow...

Streambed (or riverbed) represents the bottom of the river, including each bank. In the past, riverbeds have been artificially modified with concrete or big boulders, altering flows and reducing habitat for wildlife and vegetation diversity. The changes were aimed at preventing flood or supporting changes of agricultural practices for example. This has led to more...

Soakaways are buried chambers that store surface water and allow it to percolate into the ground. They are typically square or circular excavations either filled with rubble or lined with brickwork, pre-cast concrete or polyethylene rings/perforated storage structures surrounded by granular backfill. The supporting structure and backfill...

Groundwater is the part of infiltrated water which composes the water resource for population and human activities.  Previous modifications of the landscape have reduced the infiltration capacity of many European soils, thereby limiting the rate at which precipitation is able to infiltrate and recharge groundwater aquifers. Restoration of natural infiltration to groundwater enables a lowering of run-off from surrounding land, and...

Strip cropping is a farming method used when a slope is too steep or too long, or otherwise, when one does not have an alternative method of preventing soil erosion. It alternates strips of closely sown crops which cover fully the soil when growing such as hay, wheat, or other small grains with strips of row crops, such as corn, soybeans, cotton, or sugar beets. This technique helps to stop soil...

Basins are areas for storage of surface runoff that are free from water under dry weather flow conditions.  Basins are bodies of water designed to store surface runoff. They play a critical role in stormwater management by reducing flood risk and improving water quality. The performance of basins is highly site-dependent and often requires upstream source control to function effectively. There are three main types of basins: retention,...