Bulb out/bioswale

This seemingly random patch of green is actually an important piece of modern water infrastructure. As storm water flows through the streets toward the San Francisco Bay collecting trash and chemicals, the water gets filtered through this patch in order to clean it. This "bulb out" is filled with native plants such as the California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) and Elegant Clarkia (Clarkia unguiculata) that filter stormwater runoff draining from hardscapes along Adeline, removing pollutants through the soil biota and roots, and providing slower drainage before entering into storm drains that lead directly to the Bay. Reducing and treating stormwater onsite is a vital approach to water treatment that is not yet well-enough adopted in the County of Alameda, other than the City of Emeryville.