Erosion Control Toolbar: Parking Stormwater Planters

Introduction

Parking Stormwater Planters:

Caltrans Landscape Architects are often involved in the design of parking lots for safety roadside rest areas, park-and-ride facilities, vista points, and other state facilities. Besides providing a place to park cars, parking lots should also be designed to incorporate LID strategies to manage stormwater. Integrating stormwater planters between parking rows or at the perimeter of parking areas are common approaches. On the surface, parking lot planters look like attractive landscaped areas. Below the surface, the planters include geotextiles, gravel, and soil to provide stormwater treatment through detention and infiltration. Landscape Architects must work closely with their Project Development Team to identify opportunities to include parking lot stormwater planters.

Stormwater runoff from the parking lot is directed into the planter, where it is temporarily detained, filtered, and infiltrated. The planter soil surface is lower than the adjacent paved parking surface.

Reference:

EPA - Parking Lot Resource Guide

Updated June 20, 2018