Articles

Stormwater Pond Management: Aren't Nutrients in the Water Good?

by SOLitude Lake Management 

Nutrients are a cornerstone of healthy freshwater ecosystems, playing a vital role in fostering fish, micro-organisms, and native plants. However, perhaps due to the word’s positive connotation, property managers are often surprised to learn that abundant nutrients aren’t always good. Just as ingesting too many vitamins can make you sick, an excess of nutrients can cause harmful water quality imbalances. Like many things in life, moderation is key.

Over time, lakes and ponds become increasingly enriched with nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen that create fertile conditions for excessive vegetation and algae growth. When it eventually dies and decays, it releases nutrients that fuel new growth. Without intervention, the cycle will perpetually continue until the waterbody fills in with decayed material. This process is called eutrophication—or, put simply, aging.

While nutrient enrichment is normal and may occur naturally over hundreds of years, human activities accelerate the aging process and can reduce a pond’s lifespan to just a few decades. Once a pond is filled in, it can only be restored by dredging out all accumulated materials. Dredging is one of the biggest expenses a community will ever face, but by understanding why nutrient enrichment occurs and how to help slow the process, communities can prolong the need for costly dredging for as long as possible.

During storms, rainwater picks up nutrient-rich materials and substances as it flows over sidewalks, roadways, agricultural land, construction sites, and other developed areas. The water is diverted to stormwater ponds that are specially designed to prevent flooding and filter out pollutants before the water is released downstream. Most urban ponds, particularly in homeowners communities, are man-made for this purpose.

Some of these nutrient-rich materials include:

• Lawn and garden fertilizers

• Grass clippings

• Leaves and yard debris 

• Eroded sediment

• Pet waste 

• Septic system runoff 

• Trash 

Unsightly weeds, slimy mats of algae, and toxic blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) are common signs that your waterbody is over-enriched with nutrients. If water quality tests reveal that nutrients are above desirable thresholds, communities have several solutions at their disposal to help manage them.

First and foremost, property managers can implement impactful changes such as installing more trash bins and pet waste stations around a community, moving designated dog parks further from the vicinity of their ponds, and instructing landscapers to reduce fertilizer use and properly bag grass clippings and lawn debris. Every individual living or working in the vicinity of a waterbody influences its health and these small changes can have a significant cumulative effect over time.

Incorporating these best practices can help amplify the benefits of more impactful solutions: 

Nutrient Remediation
This involves applying eco-friendly products that bind with or “deactivate” excess phosphorus in the water column and in the bottom sediments so it is no longer available for uptake by weeds and algae. Subsequent water quality testing will allow experts to assess if nutrient levels have been restored to an ideal range. 

Biological Bacteria
Biological bacteria play a central role in decomposing plant debris and organic materials. Comparable to probiotics for your waterbody, supplementing these beneficial bacteria can help make the decomposition process more efficient and inhibit the accumulation of nutrient-rich muck. These bacteria need dissolved oxygen to thrive, so installing a fountain, surface aerator, or submersed aerator can enhance their activity.

Mechanical Hydro-Raking
In cases of significant muck and debris build-up, experts can use a floating barge equipped with a specialized clamshell bucket to physically remove hundreds to thousands of pounds of nutrient-rich material. This can also help restore several feet of depth back to the pond, limiting flood risks.

These strategies are highly effective at targeting excess phosphorus in the waterbody, but it’s also imperative to prevent additional nutrients from invading the ecosystem. Such efforts start outside of the water and can involve residents, landscapers, and other employees.

Buffer Management
While many communities desire an unobstructed view around their ponds, it’s favorable to maintain a healthy buffer of beneficial vegetation around the perimeter. These plants act as a protective barrier, filtering rainwater and capturing nutrients and debris before they enter the pond. A well-curated buffer should incorporate native plants that densely extend 3-5 feet from the shoreline and receive regular trimming and maintenance.

Shoreline Restoration
Pond erosion is not just an eyesore and safety hazard, it allows sediment to build-up in shallow areas around the shoreline. Tree roots, pipes, and other buried equipment can become exposed as sediment deteriorates. Experts can employ bioengineering techniques that physically reshape and anchor the shoreline in place, preventing future collapse and erosion. Sod or vegetative buffers can be installed directly on top to blend in harmoniously with community landscaping.

Nutrients play a major role in the health and appearance of community water bodies, but they are only part of the equation. Maintaining balanced levels of pH, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, and salinity is essential for clean, weed- and algae-free water. An ongoing management program tailored to your community’s specific goals and budget is one of the most effective ways to ensure your waterbody remains healthy, beautiful, and functional for years to come.

Turning your biggest headache into your biggest asset

By SOLitude Lake Management

Lakes and ponds captivate us due to our innate attraction to water, making them popular focal points in HOAs and residential communities. Unfortunately, weeds, algae, muck, and erosion can make your waterbody noticeable for the wrong reasons, potentially leading to complaints, safety hazards, infrastructure damage, and a bruised reputation. Healthy waterbodies contribute to happy communities and managing them should never be a headache.

For most communities, the ideal waterbody is balanced, functional, and beautiful—and achieving this trifecta can be challenging. However, proactive, environmentally-responsible management solutions can help stakeholders amplify its benefits and maximize the value that it adds to their property. 

Promoting Ecological Balance

Nuisance weed and algae growth, bottom muck, and foul odors may signify nutrient imbalances in the water. Excess nutrients can enter the water through runoff from construction sites, fertilized lawns and gardens, agricultural land, dog parks, or polluted areas. Water quality imbalances jeopardize the health of aquatic ecosystems and can create prime conditions for cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), which produce toxins that are harmful to humans and potentially deadly to wildlife, livestock, and dogs.

If water quality testing reveals significant imbalances, several eco-friendly solutions are available to help counteract and prevent them.

Nutrient remediation
Nutrient remediation can help communities achieve cleaner water that’s less hospitable to weeds and algae. Several eco-friendly products are available to remove excess nutrients from both the water column and sediments, leading to long-lasting improvements in water quality. To recommend the right solution, experts assess waterbody size, function, and degree of water movement. 

Biologicals
Biological bacteria help make the decomposition of nutrient-rich bottom muck more efficient, which can help alleviate foul odors, improve water clarity, and prevent imbalances. More importantly, depth and volume may be restored as muck decomposes, reducing flood risks and allowing stakeholders to prolong the need for physical removal via dredging, which most communities need at least a decade to budget for.

Dissolved oxygen
Dissolved oxygen (DO) aids bacteria in the breakdown of muck and is crucial to support aquatic life. DO-rich waterbodies often provide fantastic fishing and beautiful views. However, DO can become depleted due to high temperatures, abundant sunlight, or stagnation. Submersed aerators are one of the more common solutions to promote DO, but other new technologies are showing promise by producing higher DO concentrations with longer-lasting results.

Promoting Functionality 

One of the most important functions of waterbodies is the collection of water during rainstorms. Failure to do so can result in dangerous consequences like flooding in the community. It’s important to conduct regular inspections to help stakeholders identify potential impediments and develop a plan to repair or restore them.

Shoreline restoration
Erosion is natural, but it can be accelerated by human activities. Beyond being an eyesore, eroded shorelines can collapse and injure residents, guests, or landscapers, leading to potential lawsuits. Professionals utilize bioengineering techniques to rebuild eroded shorelines by filling geotextile mesh with sediment, shaping it to natural contours, and anchoring it securely. Native vegetation or sod is then planted over the material, creating a living shoreline that restores waterfront land, helps improve water quality and enhances property values.

Muck removal
Eroded sediment progresses into muck that may clog stormwater equipment, reduce depth, and impede drainage. During storms, floodwater can damage building foundations, roads, and other infrastructure. Muck and debris removal are key to preventing this. A hydro-rake, similar to a floating backhoe, can restore depth to areas with high sediment accumulation. This may help prolong or prevent the need for more costly dredging, allowing communities to divert funds to more urgent projects.

Promoting Beauty 

While naturally breathtaking, lakes and ponds can be enhanced through color, movement, and lighting to fulfill different aesthetic needs. Goals can vary significantly among stakeholders, and a wide range of options are available to customize waterbodies of all shapes and sizes. 

Fountains
Often placed in high visibility areas like community entrances, fountains provide eye-catching beauty and intrigue that may make a community more desirable to new residents and help increase property values. With intricate water patterns, graceful silhouettes, and night-time lighting elements, they can be highly customized. Fountains also provide added benefits of circulation and adding oxygen near the surface of the water. 

Vegetative buffers
Though native vegetation is primarily recommended to help stabilize shorelines and prevent erosion, they can also serve as a beautiful accent by framing a waterbody with colorful plants and flowers. Moreover, buffer vegetation helps filter stormwater runoff, reducing the influx of excess nutrients and promoting clean water that is less prone to weeds and algae.

Pond dye
Few things are as beautiful as the reflection of a sunset on glistening water. For communities that wish to maintain a vibrant look throughout the day, eco-friendly pond dyes are a great option. Customizable shades of blue can create a welcoming, pristine appearance while still looking natural. Pond dyes may also help limit the penetration of sunlight, slowing the process of photosynthesis and the subsequent weed and algae growth and DO depletion. 

Overseeing a waterbody may seem like a blessing and a curse at times. As aquatic experts, we view it as an amazing opportunity to not only improve the appearance and value of a property, but most importantly, enhance lives. By focusing on proactive, sustainable management strategies, you can better sidestep the headaches and instead help your community enjoy the long-term financial, physical, and spiritual rewards.

What You Need to Know About Pond Management as a New Property Manager

By SOLitude Lake Management

Taking on the new role of property manager for a homeowners association or residential community can be an exciting yet challenging venture. It involves navigating through a myriad of new information, understanding community dynamics, and ensuring operations continue to run smoothly during the transition period. One aspect of community management that often surprises new property managers is the complexity of community lakes and stormwater ponds. 

When it comes to maintaining healthy, beautiful aquatic ecosystems, there is a lot more than meets the eye, and it can be overwhelming to learn that poorly managed waterbodies are a big source of complaints among residents. Stormwater ponds are important functional resources that collect rainwater, filter pollutants, and prevent flooding during storms. Improperly maintained equipment can lead to damaged community infrastructure and have devastating financial consequences. 

Community managers must become well-versed in the unique challenges of pond maintenance and learn effective strategies to preserve the longevity of these resources. Effective management is not only crucial from a functional perspective, but it is also an impactful way to enhance the value and desirability of a community. Lakes and ponds offer much more than just a pleasant sight for passersby – they have the potential to be community focal points for fishing, nature watching, picnics, and other activities. Here are five key facts you should know as you begin your new pond management journey. 

1. Most community ponds are man-made
First, it’s important to understand that most community waterbodies are man-made. In urban spaces, there are few areas where water can naturally absorb into the ground. Instead, it flows over roads, sidewalks, and other impervious surfaces. Stormwater ponds prevent flooding by safely redirecting water to nearby streams, rivers, or lakes. 

2. No two waterbodies are the same
Ponds are constantly changing and influenced by dozens of factors, including weather patterns, sunlight, topography, land use, their depth and size, and even wildlife that are present in and around the waterbody. Because no two waterbodies are the same, a one-size-fits-all management program is less likely to help you achieve your goals; strategies that work for a pond in another community may not work for yours, so it’s important to develop a custom plan that supports the unique characteristics of your waterbody. 

3. Ponds “age” naturally, but human activity is accelerating this process
Over time, lakes and ponds undergo a natural aging process called eutrophication, where they accumulate nutrients like phosphorus. However, human activities can accelerate this process through poor agricultural and landscaping practices, urban development, fertilizer use, and pollution stemming from trash, detergents, sewage, pet waste, and motor oil. Stormwater ponds that become inundated with excess nutrients are more likely to develop nuisance aquatic weeds, algae, and toxic cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). It's important to educate community members about these nutrient pollution sources so they can make responsible choices that support healthy community waterbodies. 

4. Shoreline maintenance is equally important
Lake and pond shorelines play a direct and vital role in the health of a waterbody. The shoreline acts as a buffer zone between land and water, providing a transition area that supports a diverse range of plant and animal life. Healthy shoreline vegetation helps filter pollutants, stabilize the soil, prevent erosion, and reduce the impact of stormwater runoff. Shoreline deterioration is often the first indicator of an unhealthy waterbody. In addition to endangering residents and increasing liability concerns for a community, unstable shorelines can exacerbate nutrient loading and other water quality problems.

5. Proactive management goes beyond weed and algae control
Weeds and algae are not just unsightly, they’re often a symptom of a more serious problem. During the eutrophication process, the bottom of a pond accumulates eroded sediment, animal waste, and plant matter that create a layer of muck as they decompose. Over time, water quality can deteriorate and the pond will lose depth and volume until it no longer holds stormwater as intended. Once reaching this point, dredging will be required to reset the waterbody to its original form. Dredging is one of the biggest expenses a community may ever face, which is why it’s important to budget several years to decades in advance and implement preventative measures to slow its decline. Preventative water quality testing and lake mapping are essential to aid in reserve studies and financially prepare for eventual dredging needs. 

Once a new community manager understands these basics and the benefits of getting ahead of pond problems before they occur, they may face the additional challenge of getting residents on board with investing in a proactive management program. This is often due to a lack of understanding and gives community managers an opportunity to demonstrate their leadership through education and mediation. Neglected stormwater equipment can result in flooding that endangers residents and damages homes, parking lots, landscaping, and amenities. Eroded shorelines can increase the likelihood of falls and accidents. Stagnant water promotes mosquito breeding, posing health risks from mosquito-borne diseases. The value and desirability of a community can plummet as a result. 

Successfully informing residents about these dangers can help cultivate a sense of collective responsibility and foster more effective working relationships between residents and community leaders. A professional pond management partner can assist in this process by implementing science-backed maintenance strategies and keeping leaders informed on the progress of their programs. When considering a management partner, look for one that not only prioritizes an integrated approach, but also works to understand your “why” – whether that’s to restore beauty to your community, delight and attract new residents, increase safety, reduce long-term expenses, or all of the above. 

Ultimately, expanding knowledge and proficiency in pond management is crucial for property managers who want to establish themselves as competent and reliable leaders. It enables them to educate community members, gain support for investing in essential services, create new recreational opportunities, and make informed decisions that benefit their community's value and well-being.