Customize, customize, and customize your pond management program!
Are you responsible for the maintenance of stormwater ponds, wetlands, bio-retention systems or other BMPs? Each of these, in their own ways, can be liabilities and maintenance nightmares. Retention ponds or BMPs come in a variety of shapes, types and sizes. They are not all equally properly constructed or well designed. Some ponds are hidden in the back of properties; some are focal points of the property. The retention ponds located in municipalities with strict maintenance and inspection requirements have different needs than the ponds that have never (will they ever?) been inspected by the municipality or state. Sometimes the best thing you can do is get a professional to give you an assessment of your pond. You may decide not do anything with the recommendations, but at least you will identifythe type of system present, the condition of the pond, the maintenance requirements of the municipality and identify different cost options. The variety of stormwater BMPs ( retention pond, wetlands, dry ponds, sand filters, level spreaders, underground detention systems, and the list goes on…) make it imperative for managers to be knowledgeable about their systems, and what they are required to do. We like to customize our maintenance plans taking into consideration such factors as visibility (appearance), municipal ordinances and safety. When we properly identify these factors, along with a few others, we can provide you with a service that is most cost effective and appropriate for your property.
These examples below, all offer examples of situations that benefit from a customize management plan for you stormwater pond:
Underground detention pipes: “out of site and out of mind” is good until the municipality determines that this system needs to be cleaned!
Where’s the riser? An occasional inspection to retention ponds will go a long way to prevent this beaver damage from happening! This sort of problem can result in over topping of dams and flooding upstream.
Wetlands can be attractive features in properties with simple quarterly maintenance programs.