Stormwater Level Spreader Maintenance and Repair Services
Level spreader repair and maintenance by the stormwater management experts, Dragonfly Pond Works.
A level spreader is a Stormwater Control Measure, also known as a Best Management Practice or BMP. Level spreaders lessen the impact of stormwater runoff by acting like a speed bump to slow runoff and create diffuse flow. Runoff enters the system as concentrated, high velocity flow and is slowed and converted to less concentrated sheet flow as it moves over the level spreader lip. This reduces impacts downstream.
Level Spreader Features:
Stormwater runoff enters the level spreader pooling area upstream of the level spreader lip
Runoff flows from the pooling area or channel over the concrete lip , into the gravel verge, and eventually makes its way to a vegetative filter strip
Level spreaders help slow and distribute runoff before it enters adjacent receiving waters downstream. The gravel verge helps slow the water and collects sediment. The runoff then flows through the vegetative strip, which helps remove pollutants via filtration and infiltration. In the above photo, aquatic plants have been installed in the pooling area, creating a wetland environment which also helps filter nutrients and sediment.
Level Spreader Maintenance
Like all SCM’s and BMP’s, level spreaders require specialized maintenance to function as designed and avoid compliance violations and fines. Key maintenance considerations include:
Mowing of the vegetative filter strip
Removal of vegetation from the gravel verge
Removal of trash and debris from the entire system
Inspection of structural components
Occasional restoration of gravel and removal of sediment from the gravel verge
Occasional removal of sediment from the channel to restore design depth
Examples of Level Spreader Repairs and Maintenance
Example 1: The below stormwater device was no longer functioning properly due to sediment accumulation and deterioration of the gravel verge.
Views of level spreader prior to maintenance repairs.
The Dragonfly stormwater management experts refreshed the gravel in the gravel verge. We installed the gravel to allow for positive drainage.
We installed aquatic plants within the channel of the level spreader to help absorb pollutants.
The level spreader has been restored to function as designed. Routine maintenance will be key to extending the lifespan of this device.
Example 2: This is the same system two years later requiring another refreshment of the gravel verge and a routine mowing service.
The Dragonfly Stormwater Management Crew mowed the filter strip. The aquatic plants installed two years previously are thriving and continue to aid in pollutant filtration.
We refreshed the gravel verge as part of routine maintenance.
Example 3: The below level spreader had become very overgrown with vegetation and had accumulated a great deal of sediment. Excavation of the pooling area was required to restore this device.
The level spreader is overgrown and not clearly defined. Dragonfly’s BMP repair experts started by cutting back the vegetation along the length of the system.
Next, they excavated the sediment that had accumulated throughout the level spreader and hauled it off site for disposal.
The Dragonfly stormwater repair crew installed riprap over top geotextile fabric underlayment to repair an area where runoff was bypassing the spreader lip.
The level spreader is now compliant and functioning as intended to treat stormwater runoff.
Dragonfly’s stormwater management experts can provide level spreader maintenance and repairs to avoid compliance violations and fines. Routine specialized stormwater maintenance helps stormwater control measures function as designed and ultimately will save money over the lifespan of the stormwater device. Please contact us to learn how our stormwater management specialists can provide you with the peace of mind that comes from working with the experts.
Learn More!
See our restoration of an overgrown Charlotte dry pond, or dry detention basin. Underground sand filters are ideal for highly urbanized areas. Learn about these interesting systems and the importance of specialized maintenance.
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Dragonfly Pond Works is a lake, pond, and stormwater management company. We provide stormwater maintenance, stormwater control measure/BMP repair, and more throughout North Carolina, in Charlotte, Durham, Raleigh, Cary, and Wilmington. Our pond and lake maintenance services can be found throughout Florida, in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Naples, Sarasota, Fort Myers, and Orlando. We also provide lake and pond maintenance in Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Rock Hill, and Columbia, South Carolina, Atlanta, Athens, and Savannah, Georgia. We strive to develop long-term relationships based on quality work, timely service, cost-efficiency, and of course, trust. Please contact us to learn more.