Stormwater Pond Management Verification Project

Don Webster and Dr. Andrew Lazur are the PI’s. Duration is 2006 to present. The purpose is to develop new management practices for stormwater ponds to extend their useful lives; minimize nuisance aquatic plant problems through innovative techniques; educate citizens about water quality through Master Gardener training programs; verify nutrient reduction by innovative plant use through laboratory analysis of samples collected by citizens through community monitoring program.

Stormwater ponds represent a significant future problem in Maryland due to the nature of their intended use. By design, they become progressively shallower due to nutrient laden sediments. This leads to aquatic weed problems that are frequently beyond the capability of communities to address.

This program organized two community associations and designed a management program in cooperation with Maryland Aquatic Nurseries, a major production of ornamental plants. Their development of “Floating Wetlands”, floating hydroponics mats that uptake nutrients from the water, minimizing nuisance aquatic problems and utilizing nutrients while maintaining an attractive appearance, has been applied to several ponds in a three-year funded project.

Community associations have been assisted by organized Master Gardeners. These paraprofessionals have been trained to take water samples after rainfall events and at other designated times. They perform in situ analysis of some parameters, while transferring other samples to university labs. It is envisioned that this program will develop training materials for future Master Gardener training, as well as be able to conduct extension educational programs for community associations wishing to better maintain their stormwater ponds.

Preliminary analysis has been able to begin building a database of information on managed versus control ponds. This was the first of three seasons that will be part of the project, which also has components in other Northeastern states.

The Master Gardener (MG) segment has been activated with training programs at the local and state level by program faculty. Printed material will be developed over the course of the project for ongoing training and readily available reference by participating MGs. The faculty has worked with community associations to help develop the means to bring multiple voices into the management of stormwater ponds. Frequently, there are divergent viewpoints regarding how these water bodies should be managed. Building consensus helps build stronger management programs. Ongoing updates have been provided to peers through delivery of papers at regional and national conferences.

This project seeks to develop new Best Management Practices for the construction and operation of stormwater ponds in Maryland. While there are state regulations that must be adhered to in the engineering and construction of these ponds, there is flexibility in the management of them. Participating residents in communities in this project have offered anecdotal information on the value of the project and the changing attitudes found in many of the residents, especially those whose properties do not front directly on the ponds.

Final report will include information on the perceived increases that the project has had on property values in the target neighborhoods. Public information has already been provided through impending magazine articles and on-site tours by residents in other areas.

For more information, contact Don Webster

Last updated: 02/7/2008