“Swale reclamation" project underway in Fort Myers Beach

Fort Myers Beach is undergoing a Swale Reclamation Project of its side streets.

A key factor to good storm water management is a properly functioning swale. A swale is a long narrow trench that varies in depth from 6 inches to a few feet and is usually wider than it is deep.

"The drainage system for the town is basically a two-part system. There's an inground system and a swale system," said the Town Manager Roger Hernstadt. "We're going to the streets that don't have inground pipe systems to rehabilitate the swales so that they can function as a transmission system."

"The swale is less expensive than an underground pipe system, so we try to use that to the greatest extent possible while gravity and other geographical features allow us to use that method versus when we have to use the inground pipe systems," said Hernstadt.

Swales are designed to provide water quality treatment that reduces pollution and controls flooding. Swales collect rainwater, filter out pollutants, control flooding, prevent erosion, and provide a natural area for storm runoff.