Floating Wetlands

WHAT IS A FLOATING WETLAND?

A Floating Wetland (also known as floating ecosystems, floating treatment wetlands or floating islands) consists of a buoyant structure supporting the growth of emergent wetland vegetation, like reeds, rushes and sedges, floating on the surface of a waterbody. The roots of the plants hang beneath and take their water and nutrition directly from the water column. They can be installed on lakes, rivers, stormwater and wastewater ponds, and other water bodies to enhance the quality of water, biodiversity, landscape amenity, recreational space and community connectivity with the aquatic environment.

BENEFITS OF FLOATING WETLANDS

Just like natural wetlands, floating wetlands, offer several environmental and ecological benefits including:

Floating Wetlands help improve water quality by providing a natural bio-filtration system. The plants on the floating platforms take up nutrients and other elements directly from the water. Moreover, the dense root mat hanging beneath creates an ideal habitat for biofilms which purify contaminants and trap particles. The floating ecosystem also shades the water surface, reducing algae growth and lowering temperatures. We can even integrate other techniques, such as aeration or adsorptive media, to target specific contaminants.

The net effect is cleaner water.

The vegetation on floating ecosystems, both above and below the water surface, can attract and support a variety of wildlife, including birds, amphibians, small mammals, insects, and aquatic animals. A subsurface forest of roots provides shelter for fish, invertebrates and shellfish, forming an ideal feeding ground and improving fish stocks. This all contributes to the overall ecological balance and trophic complexity and resilience of a site.

We can customise the design to provide breeding grounds and predator-proof refuge for threatened target species, such as amphibians (e.g. Growling Grass Frogs), birds, insects (e.g. Adriatic Marbled Bush-Cricket) or turtles.

Floating Wetlands are an especially effective, low-impact way of bringing biodiversity and ecological health back into urban waterways where riparian and wetland ecosystems have often been lost.

Floating Wetlands beautify and enhance the aesthetic appeal of water bodies, providing a natural and visually pleasing element. This can also improve the overall recreational value of the area, making it more attractive for people to live near and visit. Floating boardwalks can be integrated to connect people with nature. Floating ecosystems can soften and naturalise the hard, linear edges of concrete and steel that often dominate waterways in modern cityscapes.

Floating Wetlands are effective at dampening wave energy close to shore and reducing erosion along shorelines caused by boat wash or wind waves. They can represent a relatively “soft engineering” approach for wave attenuation, which looks green and adds value in terms of biodiversity and water quality.

These platforms can serve as living laboratories for educational purposes, and we often involve local community and school groups in the planting and assembly of our Floating Wetlands. They provide an ideal site for community talks and accompanying signage can provide on-going educational benefits. They provide an opportunity for research on water quality improvement, ecological restoration, and the interaction between plants and aquatic environments.

Floating Wetlands can be deployed in a variety of water bodies, including ponds, lakes and stormwater retention basins. Partnering with Biomatrix Water, our Floating Wetlands are the most adaptable option on the market and can be customized based on specific needs and site conditions.

Once established, floating wetlands generally don’t require much maintenance. The plants can grow and thrive with minimal human intervention. Our experience shows that litter is rarely a problem. On an annual basis, we typically go onto the wetland and inspect fittings and anchoring hardware. And yes, they are more than buoyant enough to support our weight when we walk on them!

Floating Wetlands can be integrated into stormwater management systems to help control runoff and filter pollutants before they enter water bodies. They are often retrofitted onto existing retention pond as a simple and cost-effective way of upgrading their treatment performance whilst improving the aesthetics and wildlife values of the site.

WET Systems Floating Wetland Projects

WHY WE USE BIOMATRIX FLOATING ECOSYSTEMS MODULES

At WET Systems we use Biomatrix’s versatile and super-strong modular system which can be configured to fit the site’s conditions and create almost any shape wetland.

The floating wetlands can be used for both water quality improvement in addition to providing a sheltered refuge for birds and other wildlife. our tailored platforms mean that a variety of habitat types can be created for specific species such as birdlife, frogs, turtles and aquatic fauna. A range of wildlife habitat structures can be fitted to suit wildlife access and usage of the floating ecosystems such as ramps, perches, internal ponds, submerged planting beds and raised planters for terrestrial plants such as shrubs and small trees.

They are the strongest floating ecosystems available with a pull strength of over 2,500 kg. This allows our clients to install projects in challenging and dynamic water conditions. These floating ecosystems are the longest lasting available, using heavy duty marine engineering materials, including 316 Stainless Steel and HDPE with a typical lifetime of over 20 years. Each float is independently manufactured and sealed to provide the strongest and longest lasting Floating Wetland available.

A range of interlocking components can be configured to form hundreds of floating island and floating riverbank shapes which are connected with tough stainless-steel quick connect flanges. The range of module types provides for a variety of substrates from the 3D planting system that supports plant biodiversity to the 5D planting system that draws inspiration from biomimicry based on the natural integrating clay, wood, and silt substrates.

The materials are carefully selected for recycled content and recyclability and only non-toxic materials are used. Once grown, the system is typically 60% living biomass and 30% marine engineered materials.

Quick-connect stainless steel flanges join modules together with the capability to adjust rigidity, to pivot and to angle, resulting in short installation time.

Why Choose WET Systems?

AUSTRALIAN BASED & OWNED

We are an Australian business working throughout Australasia and further afield. Where possible, we support other local businesses and provide volunteer services to local groups in order to build a strong community.

BACKED BY EXPERIENCE

WET Systems has over 20 years of experience in the design and construction of constructed wetlands. We have worked across all states in Australia as well as the Middle East and Europe. We provide Australia’s most experienced constructed wetland design service coupled with excellent standards and honesty.

 PARTNERING WITH CLIENTS

We work closely with our clients to create, design and implement treatment systems to meet their specific needs. We greatly value client input through all stages of the project and aim to grow strong, trusting relationships in order to create the best outcome.

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