Essential Tips for Stormwater Pond Maintenance
If you own a commercial property or a development in Northwest Florida, there is a good chance a stormwater pond is part of it, and there is a good chance nobody is paying attention to it until it stops working. A retention or detention pond is not a set it and forget it feature. It is a permitted piece of infrastructure that has to keep functioning to control flooding, protect water quality, and keep you compliant. Here is what these ponds do, why they need upkeep, and what to watch.
What the pond is actually doing
A stormwater pond holds the rush of water from a big storm and lets it back out slowly, so the peak does not flood everything downstream. While the water sits, sediment and a lot of pollutants settle out, which is how the pond also protects the bays and bayous from what runs off your pavement. Around here, with our rainfall and high groundwater, that job matters and the county and the state hold you to it.
The two kinds you will see
Most ponds in our area are one of two types. A wet pond keeps a permanent pool of water, which helps sediment settle and supports some wildlife. A dry pond stays empty between storms and just fills up temporarily, then drains down. Each is built and maintained a little differently, but both lose capacity and stop working the way they should if you let them go.
What goes wrong when a pond is ignored
Sediment builds up and steals the storage volume the pond was sized for, so it cannot hold the storm it was designed to hold. The outlet structure clogs, so it does not release at the right rate. Erosion eats at the banks. Brush and the wrong vegetation take over and choke it. Every one of those is cheaper to stay ahead of than to fix after a failed inspection or a flood. The county can and does cite owners for ponds that are not maintained.
What to keep an eye on
Watch the water level and how fast it draws down after a storm, because a pond that holds water too long usually has a clogged or failing outlet. Keep the inlet and outlet structures clear of debris. Watch for eroding banks and bare spots that need stabilizing. And keep an eye on how much sediment has filled in over the years, because eventually it has to come out to restore capacity. A pond that was designed and built right in the first place, with good access and the right slopes, is far easier and cheaper to keep up than one that was cut corners on.
That last part is where we come in. NOBL Sitework is a licensed general contractor (CGC1537340) that designs and builds stormwater ponds and drainage across Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Escambia, and Bay counties, built to the county and state standards and built to actually be maintainable. If your pond is not draining right or you are putting in a new one, call us at 850-238-3307.
