Managing Stormwater Ponds
Proper management of stormwater ponds is crucial.
Stormwater ponds can suffer if poorly managed. It is up to our homeowners associations (HOAs), community managers, property management companies, and waterfront residents to choose the best management options for maintaining our stormwater ponds. There are a few ways to help manage these ponds.
First is maintaining water quality.
“In small aquatic ecosystems like stormwater ponds, a variety of interrelated biological and chemical processes work together to maintain a healthy environment for a diverse population of animals and plants” (Urban and Stormwater Pond Management). When the water quality isn’t managed, those chemicals can stop working together.
Second is flood recovery (or water quantity) and pond help.
Here are ten ways to help manage flooding in stormwater ponds:
Minimize the volume of stormwater runoff generated.
Define “predevelopment condition” as “woodland, pasture or meadow condition.”
Promote infiltration to protect ground water recharge and reduce runoff.
Protect water quality by removing pollutants prior to discharge to streams.
Protect instream channels and geomorphology conditions.
Reduce impacts of development to flood flows.
Protect adjacent lands from direct stormwater discharge.
Ensure long-term operation and maintenance of stormwater facilities.
Establish forested riparian buffer networks.
Protect wetlands, floodplains, and forested slopes. (Reducing Stormwater and Flooding The Ten Principles of Effective Stormwater Management).
Third is controlling nuisance aquatic plants.
“Aquatic plants can provide ponds with many benefits, including habitat for spawning and nursery areas for fish, oxygen production during daylight hours, and settlement of suspended sediment.
But if ponds are managed poorly, unwanted vegetation can inhibit pond function and reduce aesthetic appeal” (Urban and Stormwater Pond Management). Controlling nuisance aquatic plants is done through specific design features and a licensed Aquatic Herbicide Applicator.
There are many, many ways to manage stormwater ponds. Proper care is crucial in Charlotte NC.
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