Florida Yards and Neighborhoods

A backyard pond is a very appealing feature, and an increasingly common one in Florida yards.   Ponds provide landscape charm, water retention and treatment, wildlife habitat, recreation and gardening opportunities.   But they are not without their own, unique costs and considerations.

Whether they are natural or part of a site development, they must be considered when making choices about house design, lawn care or general yard use.    Ponds can represent the best or the worst feature about your site.

As part of a mandated storm-water management system, frequently required by local water district permitting, the small pond can serve as a final collection point for runoff after a series of swales and channels.   Pollutants are filtered by vegetation, filter traps and the settling action in the pond itself.   This can have a significant effect, improving water quality draining into estuarine bodies.   These systems also have the advantage of extending the "soak time" of storm water, or increasing the amount of water allowed to percolate, recharging the groundwater table directly.

Unlike ponds in natural systems, ornamental and storm-water ponds have a specific job to do and, like other artifacts, will need a maintenance-minded attitude toward their management.  Adding a pond to your site can help you manage a flooding problem in your yard, and with some careful landscaping, you can create your very own waterfront.

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If you live on a waterfront, evaluate stormwater runoff patterns to determine if you are inadvertently “dumping” runoff from your landscape directly into the natural waterway.

One way to filter runoff is by installing a series of swales and channels, followed by a small pond as a final collection point for runoff. Two types of ponds are used, retention ponds and detention basins. Retention ponds are engineered to retain their water. The detention basin is designed with a bottom that drains runoff through the soil within a day or so.

A pond provides a natural filter for potential waterway pollutants. Vegetation and filter traps act as active filtration systems for pollutants, and the settling action in the pond itself serves as another way to remove pollutants. A wellbuilt retention pond that supports plant life can significantly improve the quality of water draining into Florida’s waterways.

An advantage of the detention basin system is the extended “soak time” of stormwater, or increasing the amount of water allowed to percolate. Water that percolates through soil recharges ground water directly, as opposed to water that empties into waterways.

If you find yourself managing one of these natural stormwater filtration systems, follow our do’s and don’ts checklist to maintain them properly:

Pond Management DO’s

• DO plant appropriate aquatic, emergent and upland vegetation to stabilize soil.
  
• DO use pond water for non-potable irrigation needs.
  
• DO fertilize surrounding areas with the least amount of fertilizer possible, always using a slow-release type.
  
• DO use organic compost in lieu of fertilizer.
  
• DO use mulch around plants to retain moisture.
  
• DO keep pet wastes out of water bodies.
  

Pond Management DON’TS

• DON’T allow livestock to graze pond bank sides.
  
• DON’T swim in or eat fish caught in stormwater ponds.
  
• DON’T allow invasive plants to clog waterways.
  
• DON’T direct grass clippings into stormwater ponds.
  
  

Learn more about your septic system.

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Compiled by Pat Ann (FYN Coordinator, UF/IFAS SRC Extension) 2008