From time to time we attend meetings on retention pond maintenance at workshops provided by the County. At these sessions the crowd gets a first hand glimpse on what a poorly maintained retention pond can look like and how it can impact the environment around it. We always leave these meetings with good points in mind and we always learn something new.
“vegetation can grow and run amok and eventually cause issues for your pond”
One of these points that the County stresses about is the fact that of a lot of these major repairs that needed to be done to certain retention ponds in the area may have possibly been avoided had the owner did some type of maintenance on the pond. Over time vegetation can grow and run amok and eventually cause issues for your pond. Whether you are a property owner or property manager, here are some tips for Routine Maintenance you can use to help avoid issues.
- Keep up on housekeeping and try your best to keep trash and other pollutants away from the pond. Trash can build up and cause major drainage issues for you in the long run.
- Trim vegetation and trees to allow sunlight to reach to hit the sod to help the grass grow and become stable. This may also help with the visual aesthetics as well.
- The outfalls skimmer, top grate, and orifice should be clear of debris. Again you want to make sure your drains are clear of obstructions.
- When mowing and landscaping try to raise the blades to avoid scalping and causing erosion.
- Periodic removal of nuisance species for wet ponds can help avoid large scale spraying and dredging. You should at the least occasionally pay attention to what types of plant species pop up around your pond
- Try your best to not store vehicles or materials in or near stormwater facilities. Less risk, less hassle.
- Try your best to avoid planting trees and shrubs on pond banks. Again in the long run, this can cause you problems with erosion and invasive roots.
If you are in the Central Florida area and need assistance or have some questions with regards to Retention or Detention pond maintenance, please give us a call for a free estimate or evaluation. You shouldn’t wait until a major problem arises before contacting us. Let us solve the problem before it becomes more costly to deal with.
Sincerely,
The Lapin Team
