Storm Water Management Ponds
Water cycles endlessly through nature, evaporating and rising into the air, condensing and forming clouds, and precipitating back to earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
In natural areas, most rain water is caught by vegetation or soaks into the ground where it moves slowly through the soil eventually into streams, ponds, lakes, or the ocean; and some seeps deep into the soil to become groundwater, which is an important source of clean water for humans. Along the journey pollutants are naturally filtered out by plant roots and the soil.
Stormwater is the water that flows off the impervious (or waterproof) surfaces like roads, driveways, parking lots, buildings and even lawns and farm fields that can't absorb water as well as natural areas. This water often runs off down storm drains and into streams carrying fertilizers, oil, road salts, trash and other pollutants. The rapid flow of so much water causes excessive flooding and erosion. Importantly, this runoff is not available to soak into the ground and maintain groundwater and stream flow levels.
Stormwater management structures are placed between the developed environment and natural areas to temporarily hold stormwater, help filter out trash and pollutants and to release the filtered stormwater slowly back into streams and the soil
to restore a more natural water cycle.
Different types of stormwater management facilities release temporarily stored runoff in a variety of ways
Bioretention
Stormwater temporarily held and filtered through the soil, and vegetation. Excess water is collected through underground pipes and flows into a stream.
Rain garden
Similar to bioretention structure, except there are no underground pipes. All water soaks into the soil or is used by plants.
Sand filter
Stormwater is filtered through sand to remove oil, grease, and other pollutants. Water is collected through underground pipes and flows into a stream.
Infiltration trench
Similar to a sand filter except there are no underground pipes and all water soaks into the soil.
Wet pond
Holds stormwater and releases it slowly into a stream to reduce erosion and maintain stream levels. Always holds water.
Dry pond
Similar to a wet pond but remains dry between rain events.
Kids Corner
How many of these different types of stormwater management structures
(shown above) can you find in this park? Or around your school or home?
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