As part of a 3 year study evaluating the effectiveness of permeable pavement and bio-swales under southern Ontario climate conditions a number of older bioretention areas were surveyed to assess the effect that age may have on various aspects of the infiltration practice.

Two sites, DeVere Gardens and Royal York were unique in that the neighborhoods chose to maintain the rural character of the street by preserving the traditional swales and culverts along the front lots of houses. While the exact age of these ditches is unknown, they are probably at least a few decades old. These swales were intended to convey rather than infiltrate water.   The site surveys were limited to visual assessments of plant condition and soil quality sampling.

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