Saltgrass of the Earth
Put the bio back in your bioswale with LK 517f
© 2007 Wendy Dager
January 1982—a brutal cold snap hits the Midwestern United States. March of that year, all nine planets align on the same side of the sun. In December, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends the evacuation of Times Beach, Missouri, due to high levels of dioxin.
While these were major environmental issues of the day, one equally relevant—but not highly-publicized—event was the collection of LK 517f, Distichlis spicata, commonly known as saltgrass, from a native stand near Pixley, California, by employees of the US Soil Conservation Service, which changed its name to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in 1994.
Perhaps there was no fanfare about its 1982 collection because the significance of LK 517f was not realized until more than a decade later, when saltgrass was found to be superior for use in riparian restoration and bank and shoreline stabilization.
The Leaf-let brought the benefits of saltgrass to your attention in our 2004 article, "Bioswales Change Channels" (http://www.albrightseed.com/bioswales.htm).
We explained that bioswales are open channels that possess a dense cover of plants through which runoff is directed during and after storms. There are a number of native plants and grasses that can be used in bioswales, but LK 517f, a coarse-leaf, warm season California native perennial grass, is excellent for use in areas of high salt, acidity (low pH) and heat.
Landscape industry professionals should have complete know-ledge of the soil and climate conditions of their bioswale site, as well as have a good understanding of the plants they will be using.
"Bioswales will fail without careful consideration of the ‘bio’ portion of the specifications," says S&S Seeds’ Paul Albright.
The creeping rhizomes of LK 517f form large colonies, which is beneficial for use in bioswales.
A rhizome is an underground, horizontal root of a plant that sends out shoots from its nodes.
The Leaf-let explained the efficacy of saltgrass for use in reclamation projects in its 2002 article "Owens Lake: From Hazard to Habitat" (http://www.albrightseed.com/owenslake.htm). S&S Seeds teamed with Earthworks Construction & Design habitat consultant Margot Griswold and CH2M Hill project design engineers to assist the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power in its efforts to turn the dry, environmentally-hazardous—in terms of toxic dust storms—Owens Lake into an area safe for humankind.
We recently asked Margot for an update on the Owens Lake Dust Mitigation Project. With a buried drip irrigation system, water from outlets in the Los Angeles Aqueduct, and managed vegetation with underlays of subsurface drainage collected in sumps and recycled in the saltwater pipeline, this complex scheme has worked well, minimizing the area’s erosion.
"As of 2006, the saltgrass is functioning to control dust on the 2,200 acres—success of the planted area," said Margot.
However, because Distichlis spicata seeds will not germinate in sites that are high in salt content, the plant must be custom-harvested, as we do, at the S&S Seeds’ growing grounds, and either cold-stored or used immediately. For your convenience, S&S Seeds will ship the special-order rhizomes directly to the job site.
Once the saltgrass is established in the bioswale, it becomes a densely vegetated drainageway that collects and slowly conveys the runoff flow downstream in an economical, ecologically sound, self-maintaining system that secures the structure and traps pollutants.
In addition, saltgrass can be mowed to resemble turfgrass.
To add an extra dimension of erosion and runoff control to your job site, call S&S Seeds at (805) 684-0436 or visit our Web site, http://www.ssseeds.com.
All our products come with an extra ingredient at no extra cost—40+ years of experience!
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