Tree Infiltration Trenches in the City of Leipzig—Experiences from Four Years of Operation

Lucie Moeller (), Katy Bernhard, Sabine Kruckow, Sabine Wolf, Anett Georgi, Jan Friesen, Katrin Mackenzie and Roland A. Müller
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Lucie Moeller: Department Systemic Environmental Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Katy Bernhard: Department Systemic Environmental Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Sabine Kruckow: Mobility and Civil Engineering Office, City of Leipzig, Prager Straße 118-136, 04317 Leipzig, Germany
Sabine Wolf: Office of Green Space and Waters, City of Leipzig, Prager Straße 118-136, 04317 Leipzig, Germany
Anett Georgi: Department Technical Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Jan Friesen: Department Systemic Environmental Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Katrin Mackenzie: Department Technical Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Roland A. Müller: Department Systemic Environmental Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 7, 1-12

Abstract: Increasing climate change requires cities to adapt to changing weather conditions. New elements for decentralized stormwater management must be installed to protect the sewer system from overloading during heavy rainfall events and to keep water in the city for irrigation use. A pilot project was implemented in Leipzig in 2020, in which infiltration tree trench systems with three different designs were installed and equipped with measuring technology during a road renovation project. The catchment areas of these three tree trenches are between 215 and 300 m² each. In two of the systems, water retention was included to supply the tree with water during drought periods. The retention elements are sealed with clay in tree trench TT1 and bentonite in tree trench TT3. For tree trench TT2, no retention capacity was provided. This article presents the design, construction, and scientific monitoring of the three tree infiltration trenches. The conclusions after four years of operation from the perspective of two departments of the City of Leipzig are summarized. The tree trench TT1 with the clay pan for water storage shows the best performance in terms of water retention and tree fitness. For the next generation of such infiltration systems, improvements in the design of the street runoff inlets and the surface of the tree trench system’s interior are discussed.

Keywords: tree trench; water-sensitive urban design; blue-green infrastructure; urban climate adaptation; stormwater management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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