Swales Film | My Site

Swales film. pitchdeck & vision

"This is a story of a city coming together as one.
To save our native & marine wildlife, in turn, ourselves."

Swales film. Story Arc.

Problem Definition

Seattle is known for many things. Eclectic neighborhoods. Breathtaking natural surroundings. But one force springs immediately to mind: rain.

“I am a true water baby. I swim. I would swim directly beneath the Fremont bridge until a friend told be “you shouldn’t be doing that”. — Ali Fujino, Impact Advisory

The majority of rainwater is naturally filtered through our vast wetlands, underground before it reaches the water table. There is a key distinction to be drawn in urban areas. When the rain comes into contact with our roadways it captures thousands of toxic chemicals, depositing stormwater runoff directly into local waterways, lakes and rivers.

“We saw a huge oil sick and went to grab our spill kits, and ran out there to try to clean it up. It was stormwater — I thought stormwater was filtered, come to find out, none of that, it runs straight into the lake.”

- Mark Grey

Our resident marine species face a cascade of deadly pressure caused by automobiles.

“We are looking at the equivalent of the Exxon Valdez spill every year in lake union” — Ellen Southard

Beneath the six bridges spanning Lake Union, another community is on the move. All five keystone salmon species cross directly below these waterways in their annual journey to spawn upstream. The voyage has never been more perilous.

Juvenile Coho salmon are struggling to live in toxic water, causing a devastating decline in their numbers. “Coho salmon come into contact with this stormwater and die.” - Dr. Jen McIntyre

This decline has dealt a catastrophic blow to native wildlife in our region, specifically our endangered orca population, who struggle to survive as their food supply dwindles.

Faced with this looming crisis, an obvious question emerges: What can be done to save our native coho salmon population?

Impact Solution

What can be done to save our native coho salmon population?

The answer comes in the form of bioswales, which act as wetlands in our local ecosystem. Bioswales slow the pace of stormwater, filtering pollutants and silt through the layers of soil and gravel. This simple solution may be the key to reversing a century of ecological oversight.

When the rain falls, stormwater is diverted into six key downspouts that keep the stormwater from flowing into the lake. The water is instead diverted through a series of bioretention planters, where 100% of the toxic elements are extracted and contained within the swales.

After exiting through the swales, the water is drinkable and can safely flow into our waterways.

The use of bioswales began as a way to combat pollution in just one of the northwest’s troubled waterways. Now, the effort has expanded to clean all the bridge water in the Seattle area.

“The construction is simple, and effective, and can be applied to virtually any bridge. That’s the amazing thing, there is an incredible amount of underutilized space under virtually every bridge, where swales can be implemented.”

Our waterways must be safeguarded.

The next step demands action not just regionally, but on a national and global scale. Together, we can take part in a solution that will protect our wildlife and water for generations to come.

The time for action is now.