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Stormwater ponds are under-utilized and under-appreciated as potentially aesthetic wildlife attractors, key principles of Florida-Friendly Landscaping™. The common unattractive, rectangular engineered ponds featuring turf grass to the water’s edge could foster an attractive environment for wildlife if enhanced with natural aquatic and wetland plantings. The role of a well designed detention pond can balance goals of water quality, landscape aesthetics and attracting wildlife. A natural shape design will greatly increase the aesthetic value of a water body as part of the landscape. Planting desirable aquatic and wetland plants on the pond banks and shallow areas will help to stabilize banks, prevent erosion, and filter pollutants out of stormwater runoff. These plants also enhance the aesthetics of the area with a natural look, and provide valuable wildlife habitat for many animal species. A video of surprising wildlife activity at a suburban stormwater pond adjacent to a very busy intersection is featured on this poster. That particular basin, in a heavily populated suburban area The Villages, Florida receives runoff from CR 466, Morse Blvd., and the surrounding commercial areas. It is also interconnected with a basin on the east side of Morse. At very high levels, the storage system overflows into Lake Sumter. The basin’s design water level is 52.46 ft. (NGVD). All of the runoff storage is in the area above the design water level. The top of bank for the basin is 62.46 ft. (NGVD). The surface area at its design level is about 1.1 acres, and the total volume of storage from design level to basin bottom is about 1.6 million gallons. This well engineered stormwater pond is beautiful, functioning, and a thriving wildlife habitat. The video shows the natural interaction between a baby alligator, the mama gator and a heron against a backdrop of car traffic. |