Stormwater Pond Guides

Community and Commercial Stormwater Pond Factsheets

Aquatic Vegetation Management: The balance of vegetation in stormwater ponds is critical for a healthy ecosystem. Not only do plants add aesthetic value to ponds, but they also provide oxygen through photosynthesis, temperature buffering by shading and can stabilize edges, preventing erosion. Some other benefits for various aquatic plant species include absorption of pollutants, food for aquatic life and habitat benefits for diverse species.

Challenges and Best Management Practices: A secondary purpose in stormwater pond design is to create habitat for terrestrial and aquatic wildlife, which can add recreation value to a community. In some cases, constructed ponds may interfere with existing buffering wetlands or interrupt the natural hydrology of the landscape. In these cases, it is critical to design the pond system to mimic the natural conditions and maintain a healthy ecosystem. This starts with the vegetation used during the construction process.

Common Impacts on Water Quality: Stormwater ponds are designed to help treat runoff water from impervious surfaces to prevent downstream impairment. The water quality of stormwater ponds is constantly changing as rain events occur, or water comes from various other sources. It’s important to understand what water quality parameters are important to maintain in stormwater ponds and how they affect the surrounding systems.

Parish Governments: For local communities, stormwater retention ponds are associated with flood control and water quality improvements. Many of the desired benefits of these ponds are based on their design and maintenance. To optimize costs and returns for local parish governments, care should be taken when determining functionality so as to fit the space configuration, estimated volume of water and anticipated maintenance budget for the area.

Pond Design and Function: Stormwater ponds provide areas for impervious surface runoff to prevent adverse downstream effects on watersheds and local tributaries. In natural areas, rainfall seeps into the soil, allowing for nutrients and pollutants to be filtered in a process called soil infiltration. The volume of water running off paved surfaces (i.e., roads, parking lots) and commercial/residential buildings is greatly increased in urban areas.

Water Movement: Stormwater ponds are built as flow-through systems to mimic the natural movement of rain across developed landscapes. These ponds receive nutrients from various sources, including impervious surfaces, residential homes and landscapes and natural organisms. The abundance of sources contributing to the nutrient load increases the demand for oxygen that would normally come from the atmosphere and plant photosynthesis.