Retention ponds are actually a positive feature of any neighborhood or urban area, but they’re not always popular. Unpopular retention ponds, that generate complaints from the people living or working near them, are almost always badly designed and maintained. Careful design with a consideration to more than just the functioning of the pond can go a long way in making this feature popular rather than unpopular. Creating a beautiful and well-functioning retention pond may be just a matter of choosing the right plants or a different orientation for the outlets. Addressing these common complaints will help keep the pond a positive addition, especially in a crowded neighborhood or urban environment.
Unattractive Design
The biggest complaint about many otherwise functional retention ponds is that they’re unattractive. Some ponds can become a downright eyesore if they’re left bare and allowed to fill up with trash or other debris between seasonal uses. Many complaints are actually about detention ponds where the feature drains completely between uses. These ponds rarely support healthy plant growth and tend to grow weeds or catch trash when empty. Converting unlined and leaky temporary detention ponds into long-term retention ponds can make them more attractive simply by keeping the water levels somewhat steady year-round. Adding in some plants and keeping up with cleaning is often all that’s needed to transform an ugly retention pond into an attractive water feature.
Water Quality Issues
Low quality water doesn’t just pose a problem when it’s in direct contact with people or plants. It can prove unpopular just due to the discolored or cloudy appearance of a visible pond. Retention ponds often develop algae blooms in the summer because of the amount of fertilizer and nutrients collecting in them. Even if the algae doesn’t negatively affect the actual health of the pond’s ecosystem, it can trigger complaints due to its unattractive appearance. Other quality issues can affect the surrounding environment if seepage is allowed. Lining the pond not only protects the environment, it helps the pond maintain a higher level of water quality.
Lack of Recreational Opportunities
Retention ponds built in suburban and urban environments can attract a special type of complaint when they’re allowed to stay filled year-round. Many residents may be unaware of the true purpose of the pond and don’t understand why it’s unsafe for recreation. The runoff that fills these ponds is usually too rich in contaminants to offer a safe swimming environment, but it may not seem like that from a glance as you pass by. Yet, it’s rare to be able to treat the water from a retention pond to the point where it’s safe for swimming or other direct forms of recreation. It’s often possible to reach a compromise with interested neighbors by allowing for boating and other types of indirect use. Planted and naturalized ponds are much more likely to be attractive and safe enough for recreational use than those left bare and basic.
Unpleasant Odors
Without proper flow, and potentially aeration or circulation, retention ponds tend to turn into unintended cesspools. The water can become stagnant and full of anaerobic bacteria, in particular, if there is not enough water flowing in and out to keep it fresh. Anaerobic bacteria tend to produce unpleasant odors, making some retention ponds sources of noxious smells. When these unpleasant smells are produced near homes or businesses, the pond can become a source of contention rather than an important environmental feature. Yet, many of the same features that keep a pond attractive also control odors; such as fountains and planted banks. It’s not surprising that a retention pond that looks good will also tend to smell inoffensive or like nothing at all.
Nuisance Animals
A pond can attract valuable wildlife and nurture threatened species, or it can bring in nuisance pests that then travel to nearby homes or businesses. Careful pond design goes a long way in only attracting wildlife that will be a good neighbor to nearby people and pets. Everything from the plants selected for covering the banks to the netting used to cover the surface can keep away raccoons and welcome in attractive waterfowl. Highlighting the desirable wildlife the pond can attract will often outweigh any fears neighbors have about muskrats, raccoons, and other nuisance animals that are sometimes drawn by ponds.
Lack of Maintenance
Finally, even the best designed retention pond can eventually generate complaints if they go without maintenance for long enough. It’s possible to reduce maintenance for these ponds significantly by designing filtration boxes and baffles. Yet, these features all eventually need cleaning and clearing to continue working as intended. Letting a retention pond go too long without attention will only result in the aforementioned odor, appearance, and water quality issues. Installing a durable liner is one of the best ways to keep the retention pond easy to maintain and repair.
Don’t let a retention pond become a point of contention for a planned housing development or existing neighborhood. Visible ponds, in particular, need extra care taken to keep them looking as good as possible so they enrich the environment while protecting it. Let BTL Liners pair you with the right geomembrane material to build a long-lasting retention pond.
