4 Ways Nature Can Be Used to Prevent Flooding

7/31/2022 (Permalink)

Four Ways To Reduce Flooding

When floodwaters rise in your Central Hollywood, CA, business, that high water means a messy cleanup best left to water damage and restoration company. While flooding can’t be completely eliminated, larger urban areas are turning to nature for flood prevention. Below are four ways to reduce flooding while also beautifying a landscape filled with concrete and buildings.

1. Rain Gardens
As older urban areas are being revitalized, planners are incorporating more green space to stop flooding. Rain gardens are designed to be just below the ground level to trap rainwater. They are shallow and flat, which helps the green vegetation and soil filter any pollutants as it absorbs the overflow. They are easy and cost-effective to build and maintain, making them a trending solution.

2. Planting Trees
When the goal is to reduce high water, trees make an excellent solution. Although they take time to grow, their eventual canopies slow the flow of runoff. As the water collects on the leaves, it eventually evaporates or trickles down to be absorbed by the soil below. Their extensive root systems can also benefit groundwater replenishment in a drought.

3. Green Roofs
Along with boosting plant life on the ground, green roofs are an ideal method to minimize the effects of stormwater runoff. Covered in vegetation, they absorb approximately 80 percent of the rainfall. That means less water running over sidewalks and streets getting polluted. Another bonus is that a building with a green roof can reduce city temperatures because heat isn’t getting trapped by rows of dark roofs.

4. Rainwater Collection

While heavy rainfall can be a bit dreary, using that rain in smarter ways can reduce flooding and minimize water usage. There are tanks that can be installed for large buildings to collect, store and use that water for other purposes. With the ability to hold thousands of gallons of water, it can be incorporated into a structure for flushing toilets, lawn and garden irrigation, and other cleaning purposes.

Although high water entering your property may eventually happen, largescale efforts are being made in many cities to use nature to fight flooding.