Bioretention is a upland water quality and water quantity control practice the uses the chemical, biological and physical properties of plants, microbes and soils for removal of pollutants from storm water runoff. Some of the processes that may take place in a bioretention facility include: sedimentation, adsorption, filtration, volatilization, ion exchange, decomposition, phytoremediation, bioremediation, and storage capacity. This same principle of utilizing biological systems has been widely used in the retention and the transformation of pollutants and nutrients found in agricultural and wastewater treatment practices.

Unlike various other practices that control only peak discharge, bioretention can be designed to mimic the pre-existing hydrologic conditions by treating the associated volumes of runoff. (from bioretention.com)

Fact Sheets

Rain Garden Design for Homeowners, University of Nebraska

Installing Rain Gardens in Your Yard, University of Nebraska

Plant Selection for Rain Gardens in Nebraska, University of Nebraska

Rain Gardens: A how-to manual for homeowners, University of Wisconsin Extension (please note that the plants recommended in this document are appropriate for Wisconsin, but may not be appropriate for Oklahoma climates)

Start-to-Finish Rain Garden Design: A Workbook for Homeowners, Faribault County Minnesota

Rain Gardens in Connecticut--a Design Guide for Homeowners, University of Connecticut

Bioretention Performance, Design, Construction, and Maintenance, North Carolina State University

Designing Rain Gardens (Bioretention Areas), North Carolina State University

Bioretention Applications: Inglewood Demonstration Project, Largo, Maryland, Florida Aquarium, Tampa, Florida, EPA

Bioretention, EPA

Oklahoma Rain Garden Plant Lists, Oklahoma Conservation Commission

Bulletins, journal articles, and Handbooks

Minnesota Stormwater Manual -- Bioretention, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

San Antonio River Basin Low Impact Development Technical Guidance Manual, San Antonio River Authority

Bioretention Manual, The Prince George's County, Maryland

Caring for your Vegetated Stormwater Facilities, Montgomery County, Maryland

Beautiful, Hard-working Rain Gardens, Resource Media

Bioretention Cell Construction, Chavez, Brown and Storm, OSU Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Impacts of Construction Activity on Bioretention Performance, Brown and Hunt, 2010. Journal of Hydrologic Engineering

Green Infrastructure Design Standards for in-street traffic calming devices that collect and infiltrate stormwater, Watershed Management Group

Plants for Stormwater Design, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Impacts of Construction Activity on Bioretention Performance, Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, Brown and Hunt, 2010

Past OSU Training Sessions

Stillwater Rain Garden Workshop, June 9, 2009

Other Bioretention Cell Web Sites

LID Urban Design Tools -- Bioretention, lid-stormwater.net