Wetland Boardwalk Guidebook

Everything you need to know about designing and constructing wetland boardwalks

Are you working on a boardwalk over wetlands, mangroves, and marshes? The resources below provide tips and information to help you throughout the process of planning, designing, and ultimately constructing a boardwalk in these fragile environments.


Environmental Concerns for Wetland Boardwalks

One of the highest priorities when creating these pathways is protecting the wetland. These resources detail out steps you can take to minimize impact during your wetland boardwalk project, as well as information regarding why these areas deserve to be protected.

Here are some articles about wetlands:

 

Designing a Wetland Boardwalk

There are aspects of the design that need to be considered for every wetland boardwalk project, including which foundation is best, what path the boardwalk should follow, what materials and textures are most suitable for the area, and the aesthetic components of the design, such as railings and color.

The articles below feature helpful information about the design process for wetland boardwalks:

 

Constructing a Boardwalk Over Wetlands

Construction for wetland boardwalks isn't as cut and dry as it may be for other boardwalk projects. Due to the sensitivity of these areas and what is and isn't allowed based on permitting, it's important to consider alternatives to traditional boardwalk construction. Top-down construction is one of the options that may be a good fit for your next wetland boardwalk project.

To read more about top-down construction for wetland boardwalks, click below.

 

Comparing Wetland Boardwalk Materials

For all boardwalks, it's important to consider cost, aesthetic appearance, durability, and maintenance requirements of various materials. For wetland boardwalks, selecting materials that are environmentally friendly is an additional aspect to consider, and every option has different pros and cons.

For resources about comparing materials, check out the articles below:

 

Examples of Concrete Wetland Boardwalks 

Looking for some inspiration for your next wetland project? Here are some examples of concrete boardwalks in wetlands around the United States:

 

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